Her Secrets
by Marvel'sWhovian
Summary: Cerys has always lived life on the sidelines. She was a quiet observer. One night she meets a mysterious man who's first words to her are "Run!" From that moment she is hooked. As time goes by she learns that she's not just ordinary. There's more to her that meets the eye and in the end, it could destroy everything. She is impossible and she has a secret that no one must know.
1. Cerys

_The creatures slowly walked towards me, coming from all angles. They had backed me into a corner, and their red eyes bore into me as they continued to inch closer, balls lit. "He is awake and you will worship him," they said in unison. He was beside me, clutching my hand, trying to pull me away. I didn't want to move, I didn't want them to kill him. I would take it, all the pain if it meant he'd live. The universe needed him more than me. A scream escaped from me as one moved the ball in its hand to my temple. As a jolt of electricity ran through my body, everything went black._

I awoke in a cold sweat feeling as if I had just witnessed my demise. The image of the creatures remained clearly in my mind. I knew they didn't exist but I was still afraid. Sighing, I got out of bed and went to take a bath. I had the time; I'd woken up an hour early. I allowed the warm water to relax me. All thoughts of that nightmare faded except for those bright red eyes.

I left the bath when I heard my alarm go off. I had drifted off to sleep in my relaxed stat and my fingers and toes had pruned. Wrapping a towel around my body, I brushed my teeth and washed my face before I went to get dressed. After putting on jeans, a white v neck, and my leather jacket, I pulled down my mess of curly hair in an attempt to style it. When it wouldn't cooperate, I left it down, only applying a bit of anti-frizz. When I had finished, I ran out of my flat and headed to work.

On the bus, I met up with my best friend and coworker Rose. We joked around until we got off outside a department store. Walking inside, we clocked in and went our separate ways, her to ladies ware and me to the juniors section. The day was boring and uneventful, the only real fun being when I went out to lunch with Rose and her boyfriend Mickey in Trafalgar Square and even that was filled the icky lovey-dovey crap from the two.

When the day was finally over, Rose and I headed towards the door chatting away. As we reached the door, the guard waved a clear plastic bag in front of us. Sighing, we ran to the lift and went down to the basement.

"Why did it have to be us tonight? Mickey and I had plans."

"What to watch the game at the pub? Come on Rose, what are you really going you do with him?

"I don't know but I like him. He's not bad."

"Sure," I muttered.

Rose rolled her eyes before calling out for Wilson. "We've got the lottery money. Wilson, are you there?"

"Ugh, we don't have time to hang about. They're closing the shop. Wilson! Oh, come on. If you don't answer this door I'm leaving the money here," I huffed as I knocked on his door.

I walked away into another room and turned on the light. It was filled with boxes of clothing and more shop dummies. As I walked further in, the door slammed behind me. I ran back to it and tried to push it open. "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered. "Rose! Rose, open the door." I banged against it until I heard her voice.

"It won't budge Cerys. I'm going to get security alright?"

Before I could reply, I heard a noise behind me. "Is that someone mucking about?" I asked stupidly, turning to face whatever made the noise. As I searched for the movement, a male dummy's head turned. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief but that quickly changed when it started to approach me. "Yeah, uh, very funny. You can stop now. You've got me," I laughed uneasily as more started to move. "Alright, I get it. Hardee har har. Whoever came up with this stupid prank's going to get a mouthful when I find 'em." I continued to back away from them as more of them came towards me. A sense of déjà vu overcame me as I found myself backed against a wall. The mannequin raised its hand as if to strike me. Just before it brought the hand down, I felt a hand grab mine. A smile crept to my face thinking it was Rose but instead it was a middle aged man wearing a leather jacket.

"Run," was all he said as he dragged me through the basement and into a service lift. As the doors closed, the person's hand pushed between them, reaching for me. The man grabbed it and after a few tugs, pulled it off.

"You pulled his freaking arm off!" I exclaimed after the door closed.

"Yep. Plastic," he said tossing the arm at me and folding his arms.

"Clever. Who were they, students? Is this something students are doing now?"

"Why would they be students?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."

"Well you said it," he replied. "Why students?"

I puffed out a breath in annoyance. "Well to get all those people to get dressed up and all that jazz, they would have to be students."

"That makes sense. Well done."

"Uh, thanks I guess."

"They're not students."

"Whatever. Look, when Wilson finds them he's gonna call the police."

"Who's Wilson?"

"He's the chief electrician."

"Wilson's dead," he said without a bat of an eye.

"Wait, what about Rose?"

"Rose? Never met a Rose."

"She could still be in there with those things. I have to go back for her."

"You can't. Now hold on. Mind your eyes," he stated he held something towards the lift controls.

"Who are you and what about that lot?" I asked, ignoring the strange sound. When he didn't answer, I repeated myself. "What the hell were they?"

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device on the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this," he replied matter-of-factly, pulling out a small device. "So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast." I stared at him in disgust. "Don't tell anyone about this because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shut the door behind him, leaving me outside and a little dumbstruck before reopening it. "I'm the Doctor by the way. What's your name?"

"Cerys. Oh, and I don't care much for beans on toast."

He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Cerys. Run for your life."

I ran towards the main road, a bit nervous about the shop window dummies. While I watched them, I bumped into someone standing on the street.

"Cerys! I'm so glad you got out. I was so worried. Security made me leave. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Rose, can I crash at your place tonight?"

"Course. Mum won't mind." I threw an arm around her in aside hug. "What's that in your hand?"

I looked down at the plastic arm and shrugged. As we walked away, a loud boom enveloped the London night. Looking up at the source, I couldn't help but think of the Doctor. Rose pulled me across the street, almost getting us hit by a cab. While she pulled me along, I noticed an old police box in an alley. It was only a quick glance due to Rose breaking out into a run.

When we reached Rose's flat, the television was on and Jackie was on the phone as usual. We both went and sat on the settee, taking in gulps of air. I had tossed the plastic arm on the chair in the corner.

"I know. It's on the telly. It's everywhere. They're lucky to be alive. Honestly, it's aged them. Skin like an old bible." She handed us cups of tea. "Walking in now you'd think I was Rose's daughter. Oh, and here's himself." She said as Mickey busted through the door, walking off to the kitchen.

"I've been phoning your mobile. You could have been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!" He glanced at me, noticing my presence for the first time. "Glad you're alright to Cerys."

"Yeah, sure you are," I muttered.

"I'm alright, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss."

"Well, what happened?"

"I don't know!"

"What was it though? What caused it?" he pressed. I rolled my eyes. Mickey never knew when to quit.

"I wasn't in the shop. I was outside. I didn't see anything. Cerys might have." Mickey looked at me expectedly for a moment before realizing that I wouldn't tell him anything even if I did know.

Jackie returned to the living area, turning her attention to us. "It's Debbie on the end. She knows a man on the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview."

"Oh that's brilliant! Give it here," Rose sighed as she took the phone from her mother and ended the call.

"Well you girls have got to find some way of making money. Your jobs are kaput and I'm not bailing you out Rose," she said before answering the ringing telephone. "Bev! They're alive. I've told them, sue for compensation. They were within seconds of death."

Rose and I groaned as the woman spoke. "What're you drinking? Nah, nah, that's no good. You're in shock. You need something stronger," Mickey went on as he tried to pull her off the sofa.

"I'm alright."

"Now, come on, you deserve a proper drink. We're going down to the pub, you and me… and her if she wants. My treat, not for you Cerys. How about it?"

"Is there a match on?"

"No, I'm just thinking about you, babe."

"There's a match on, ain't there." Rose smirked glancing at me. I nodded.

"That's not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes." Mickey glared at me for telling Rose about the match.

"Go on, then. I'm fine really. Cerys and I just need to stay in. Go, and get rid of that," she grinned, pointing to the plastic arm. Mickey gave her a quick kiss and picked it arm.

"Bye, bye."

"Bye." He pretended to be strangled by the arm and then left.

"I wish it had strangled him."

"Oh, come off it Cerys. I don't know why you guys don't get along."

"I'd prefer not to go into that. You're my best friend and he is unfortunately your boyfriend. I won't bad mouth him," I replied, standing up and stretching.

"Where are you going?"

"Your room. I'm exhausted."

"Be exhausted on the sofa."

"Sorry Rose but I am not sleeping on that thing again," I chuckled before I ran into her room and jumped onto the bed. Rose followed and jumped on top of me. We ended up wrestling until Rose had decided to share her bed.

I jumped up at the sound of Rose's alarm going off noticing that I had slept on the carpet again. Getting up from the floor, I searched her closet for the bag of clothes I had left over the years. Finding something I liked, I went to take a bath.

"There's no point in getting up girls. You've got no job to go to," Jackie yelled from her room. I smiled and closed the bathroom door. After ten minutes, I exited the tub and dried myself off. My soaked hair made it all the more difficult but I finally was able to get it enough water out to leave my top damp. After I had brushed my teeth, I went to join Jackie in the kitchen.

"Morning Jackie."

"Cerys. How'd you sleep?"

"It would have been alright if not for Rose kicking me off the bed."

She chortled. "Are you going to start looking for a job? I know Rose won't listen to me but you could sue for compensation."

"I don't really care much for a new job or compensation. I suppose I'm worse than Rose."

"You are! I can't get through to you girls. Maybe I should kick Rose out?"

"Then she would move in with Mickey. Would you prefer that?"

"She'll move in with you before she did with that one." I let out a laugh as I made my way to the fridge. I hadn't eaten since the night before and it was just staring to hit me.

"Hey Jackie, would you mind making me an omelet?"

"What do I look like, your mother?"

"Well, not exactly like her but…"

"Shut it. If I'm not cooking for Rose, I'm not cooking for you. Make yourself an omelet."

"Really ?"

"Don't you dare, you," she said point her finger at me threatening me with that look only a mother gives. I giggled and kissed her cheek before going to the door. "Oi, where are you going?"

"Home for a bit. I'll be back in a bit, probably before Rose gets up."

"Doubt it. You live on the other end."

"Jackie, I live four streets away. I'll be back in an hour." I quickly ran out the door before she could say another word. Once inside my apartment, I went for my medication. Quickly taking it, I walked around the small place trying to clear my head of the night before. I'd had another nightmare, this one different than the rest-the death of an entire planet. Sighing, I sat on the settee and stared blankly at the wall. When it had reached a quarter after the hour, I left and returned to the Tyler flat.

"Oh, great. The butchers." I heard Rose grumbled as I walked in.

"Talking about Finches? Yeah, they're always hiring," I said, announcing myself.

"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And' I'm not joking about compensation. You girls have had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!"

"But isn't she?" I quietly asked as I stood behind a chair in the dining room.

"I know she's Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim." Rose and I rolled our eyes at the woman.

"Hey, was that the cat flap?" I asked when I heard it open and close.

"Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays," Rose exclaimed getting up from the table and going to the front door.

"I did it weeks back."

"No, you thought about it."

I went to the door. "She did. The nails are on the floor," I verbalized content that Jackie had actually nailed the cat flap down. I slightly jumped when the flap moved again. I opened it and jumped up, opening the door to see the Doctor.

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting."

"Well, what do you do that for?"

"Because I am. I'm only here because someone blew up my job," I growled lowly.

"I must have got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" he went on, tapping me on my forehead. "No, bone head. Bye, then."

I grabbed his arm. "You. Inside. Right. Now." I pulled him into the flat, throwing Rose an apologetic look.

"Who is it?" Jackie asked from her room.

"It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes," Rose told her mother. Rescuing me. She looked at me, grabbing my arm and dragged me with her, wanting to know what was going on. I quickly and quietly told her about what had happened the night before. She slapped my arm. "You should have told me. Why didn't you?"

"He said it could get you killed. Look, you're my best friend. I'd rather you not die."

"Thanks but I can handle myself."

"Never said you couldn't."

"Tell me next time."

"I don't plan on making this a habit," I laughed, hugging her. I knew she had forgave me, she always did.

"They deserve compensation," Jackie said, not noticing that he was standing in her doorway.

"Oh, we're talking millions."

"I'm in my dressing gown."

"Yes, you are."

"There's a strange man in my bedroom." Rose grimaced at her mother's words.

"Yes, there is."

"Well, anything could happen."

"No," the Doctor said flatly. Rose and I quietly giggled at the stoic answer. We both knew Jackie was probably throwing a small fit at the rejection. We sobered up as he entered the living room.

"Don't mind the mess." Rose organized the coffee table in an attempt to straighten up. "Do you want coffee?"

"Might as well, thanks. Just milk." Rose nodded and walked off to the kitchen, leaving me alone with him.

"We should go to the police. Seriously. Both of us."

He seemed to ignore me, his attention on the copy of Heat that was on the coffee table. "That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien." He tossed it back on the table and picked up a paperback.

"Look, I'm not blaming you or anything, even if it was a joke that went bad. It could help."

"Hmm. Sad ending," he said, still not paying attention to me.

"They said they found a body on the news."

He picked up some mail and read the name. "Rose Tyler." He then looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was as if he was seeing himself for the first time. I watched him, intrigued. "Ah, it could have been worse. Look at the ears." The Doctor flicked them, his face showing a bit of disdain.

"Look, it doesn't matter. He was a nice guy."

His attention was drawn to a deck of cards. "Luck be a lady."

"Anyways, if we're going to the police, I should at least know what I should say." I watched the cards go flying in the air, wondering if he would pick them up. "I want you to explain everything."

"Maybe not." He turned towards the door. "What's that, then? Do you have a cat?"

"Nope, no cat here," I said going into the kitchen to see what was taking Rose so long. "They used to, but now it's only strays. They come in off the estate." Rose and I returned to the living room and saw the Doctor with the plastic arm at his neck. I rolled my eyes, thinking he was playing around and Rose didn't even notice. "Ugh, I thought you told Mickey to toss that thing. You're all the same."

"Give a man a plastic hand. Anyways, we don't even know your name. Doctor, what was it?" Rose finished. We were so close that we finished each other's sentences.

I watched as he threw the plastic arm off of him. I suddenly realized that he wasn't joking around when it stopped midair and grabbed my face, slamming me into the wall. I felt two pairs of hands grab me, each with a hand on the plastic arm. I then found myself falling through Jackie's coffee table, stuffed between two bodies. When it was finally removed from my face, the Doctor used a tube shaped thing and jabbed it into its palm. Rose and I watched as the fingers stop flexing.

"It's alright, I've stopped it. There you go, you see?" He threw the plastic arm at me and I caught it. "Armless," he smiled.

"Do you think?" Rose and I said together. I hit him with it, not bothering to care if I had put all my anger into it.

"Ow!"

"Good. You deserve much worse." The Doctor got up and left the flat. Rose and I followed him down the stairs. "Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off."

"Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you."

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill her," Rose exclaimed.

"Ten out of ten for observation."

"You can't just walk away. That's not fair. You've got to tell us what's going on."

"No, I don't."

Rose glared at him. "He doesn't." I stated. The Doctor looked at me, his face stoic but his eyes showed disbelief. I shrugged.

We were a few blocks outside of the flats and Rose would not give up. "Alright then. I'll go to the police. Cerys told me everything and I'll tell everyone. You said that if she did that, people would die. So, your choice. Tell us or I'll start talking."

I groaned. "Is that supposed to sound tough?" I whispered.

"Sort of."

"Doesn't work."

I walked behind Rose and the Doctor, thinking to myself. "Who are you?" It was barely audible but he heard me. He faced me, his eyes were focused solely on me and it was enough to make me nervous.

"Told you. The Doctor."

"Yeah, but Doctor what?" Rose asked, a lot more confident than me. His eyes didn't leave me though.

"Just the Doctor."

"The Doctor?"

"Hello!" He waved at us. Rose smirked and I continued to look ahead.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Rose scoffed.

"Sort of."

"Come on then. You can tell us. We've seen enough." Rose put a hand on his back. "Are you the police?"

"No, I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home."

"But what have we done wrong? How come those plastic things keep coming after us, after Cerys?"

"Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around her. Cerys was just an accident. She got in the way, that's all." I looked down at my feet, remaining quiet.

"It tried to kill her."

"It was after me, not her and not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, she blundered in, almost ruining the whole thing. This morning I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on her is 'cos she met me."

"So what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you?" I asked heatedly, snapping out of my trance.

"Sort of, yeah."

"Ugh, you're so freaking full of it!"

"Sort of, yeah." Again, Rose smirked. I was anything but happy. I was annoyed.

"So, all this plastic stuff. Who else knows about it?" Rose asked, trying to divert the conversation from the squabble.

"No one."

"What, you're on your own?"

"Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch the telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on."

"Okay, start from the beginning." Rose grabbed the arm from him. "I mean, if we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't believe that, but if we do, how do you kill it?" Rose had taken over the questioning, knowing that I probably would have gone off on him.

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."

"So that's radio control?"

"Thought control." He turned to me. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "So, who's controlling it, then? There's got to be some evil mastermind behind it."

"Long story."

"But what's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies, what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?" Rose joked. He laughed along with her.

"No."

"No."

"It's not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you." The Doctor turned to us. "Do you believe me?"

"No."

"But you're still listening." Rose and I stopped while the Doctor continued to walk into the street.

"Really though, Doctor. Tell us, who are you?" I said. He stopped and came back to us.

"Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving?" He began to walk back to us. "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it." The Doctor grabbed my hand and then Rose's. "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you, her, and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go." He dropped our hands. "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler and Cerys." The Doctor took the hand from Rose and waved it. "Go home." He walked across the street, leaving Rose and I in shock. I noticed the blue police box again and found it strange but said nothing. I grabbed Rose's hand and she began to pull me towards the block of flats. As we walked, there was a rush of air and a strange noise. We looked at each other before running back. The blue box was nowhere to be seen.

When we got back to Rose's I decided that I wanted to go home. Today had been stressful and I just wanted to sleep. Rose tried to convince me to go with her to Mickey's but after a while, she gave in and said she'd call me. Reaching my flat, I got my mail and tossed it on the table. Kicking off my trainers, I put my hair in a ponytail and went to my room. Throwing myself onto my bed, I fell into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Craziy and Crazier

I awoke to my mobile going off. Groggily, I reached for it, knocking it onto the floor. I groaned and got up, answering before the call ended.

"Mickey and I are going to meet this man, Clive. He knows about the Doctor. Want to come?"

"Would I have to be nice to Mickey?"

"It would be nice but I need you to come. Mickey thinks this guy is crazy."

"Maybe he is but I'm in."

"Great. We'll pick you up in a bit."

"Alright," I said before ending the call. Walking to the bathroom, I washed my face and taking down my hair. Because I hadn't done anything to it, it had reverted to its naturally curly state. I left it down, not really caring what anyone would think; it looked good frizzy.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on my door. Putting on my leather jacket, I opened the door to Rose with a smile on her face. She pulled me down to Mickey's bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle. A few minutes later, we were at the man, Clive's, house.

"You're not coming in. He's safe. He's got a wife and kids," Rose said in an attempt to keep Mickey in the car.

"Yeah, who told you that? He did. That's exactly what an internet lunatic murderer would say." Rose and I rolled our eyes before exiting the car. Walking up to the house, Rose knocked on the door. A kid answered the door.

"Hello, I've come to see Clive? We've been emailing."

"Her, not me," I smirked.

The boy smiled at me before turning into the house. "Dad! It's one of your nutters! Even brought her nurse." I laughed as Rose glared at the boy. A man on the heavier side with short brown hair arrived at the door, holding out his hand to us.

"Oh, sorry. Hello. You must be Rose and Cerys. I'm Clive, obviously." I shook his hand, all the while glaring at Rose for telling him about me.

"You should tell him, you know, just in case," I told Rose.

Clive looked at us confused. "My boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us."

"No, good point. No murders," Clive said before he waved to Mickey. I then heard a woman ask who was at the door. "Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor. She's been reading the website. Please, come through. I'm in the shed." He ushered us into the house. I smiled when the woman couldn't wrap it around her head that a woman had read about the Doctor and followed Rose and Clive.

When we got to the shed, Clive showed us around the small space. "A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive. I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough and keep a lively mind, this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place." Clive had pulled out a dark blue folder from a pile of papers. "Political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories. No first name, no last name, just the Doctor. Always The Doctor. And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son. It appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?" He pointed to the fuzzy internet image.

"Yeah," Rose replied.

"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive just last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original," Clive said, showing us a picture of Kennedy's cortege going through Dallas. The Doctor was just another face in the crowd. Rose and I looked in disbelief. "November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. You see?"

"It must be his father."

"Going further back," Clive said gathering more pictures. "April 1912. This is a photo of the Daniels family of Southampton, and friend." "He pointed to the man that stood on the right. "This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World on the Titanic, and for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived. And here we are." He took a sketch from the pin board. "1883. Another Doctor. And look, the same lineage. It's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion. "

"And who's that?" I asked, speaking for the first time since entering the shed.

"Death." Rose and I looked at the man, not knowing what to say. "If the Doctor's back, if you've seen him, Rose and Cerys, then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger. If he's singled you out, if the Doctor is making house calls, then God Help you."

"But who is he? Who do you think he is?" Rose asked.

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world." Clive's voice was deep and ominous as he said this. A shiver coursed through me.

Rose and I glanced at each other before thanking Clive for his help. Smiling at us, he led us back to the door. When we returned to the car, Mickey was sitting behind the steering wheel. "All right, he's a nutter. Off his head. Complete online conspiracy freak." Rose went on as she walked to the car. "You win! What are we going to do tonight? I fancy a pizza. What about you Cerys?"

"Um pizza is fine," I said, inching away from Mickey. There was something off about him and it disturbed me.

"Pizza! P-p-p-pizza!"

"Or Chinese."

"Pizza!" Mickey said before putting the car in gear and weaving down the road with Rose and me holding on for dear life.

While at the pizza place, Rose was oblivious to the change in Mickey. His skin was shiny and he seemed to have that stupid grin stuck on his face. I sat as far as I could from him, and even that wasn't far enough for me.

"Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going on in the canteen. Is that it then, dishing out chips? I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up. What do you think?" Rose asked, taking a breath finally. She could go on for days, something I both loved and hated.

Before I could answer, Mickey spoke. "So, where did you meet this Doctor?"

Rose looked annoyed. "I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?"

"You were," I replied.

Mickey ignored us. "Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" He turned to me.

"No."

"Come on."

"Sort of," Rose said. I glared at her.

"What's was he doing there?"

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey and neither is Rose. So mind your damn business."

"You can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar." Mickey's voice changed octaves before it returned to normal. "You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."

"What are you doing that for?" Rose asked, finally noticing something was wrong. I stood up, watching the scene unfold.

"Your champagne." I looked up and saw the Doctor. He caught my eye and smirked.

"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?" Fake Mickey must have known I wouldn't dare say anything because he kept questioning Rose. His hang grabbing hers.

"Madam, your champagne."

"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Rose…" I trailed off when I realized she was paying sole attention to her boyfriend at the moment.

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?"

"Doesn't anyone want this champagne?"

"Look, we didn't order it," Mickey sneered, looking up at the Doctor. "Ah. Gotcha." Mickey released her hand.

I watched as the Doctor smirked at him and started to vigorously shake the champagne bottle. "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" The Doctor released the cage around the cork and it flew into Mickey's forehead. After a moment, he spat it out. Rose looked a bit scared and I was shaking.

"Anyway," Mickey said as his hand became a chopper. Rose and I ran, screaming while Mickey destroyed the table. We watched as the Doctor grabbed Mickey's head and pulled it off. Everyone else started to scream.

We watched the body flailed around a bit before I set off the fire alarm. "Everyone out! Out now! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Rose and I yelled as we motioned them to the door. Then Rose, the Doctor, and I ran through the kitchens carrying the head, leaving the body at the restaurant.

We had exited through the back door and ended up in the back alley. I had released Rose's hand when I noticed the blue police box. I barely paid attention to the Doctor as he did whatever it was to the door and Rose running blindly past the wooden relic.

"Open the gate! Use the tube thing. Come on!" Rose screamed in fear. She pulled against the padlocked gates.

The Doctor didn't look at her. "Sonic screwdriver," he corrected.

"Use it!"

"Nah. Tell you what, let's go in here." He walked past me, towards the box but stopped, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You alright?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." He shrugged and returned to the box and opened it. The Doctor went inside, leaving us outside with the plastic Mickey banging on the restaurant door.

"You can't hide inside a wooden box." Rose exclaimed as she ran towards it. She ran back to the gates and pulled on the lock some more. "It's going to get us! Doctor!" Rose tried the gate again, running back and forth between the box and the gates.

I walked around the police box. As she did that, I walked inside. "Smaller on the outside," I muttered much to the Doctor's amusement. Rose finally came in behind me, slamming the door behind her. She looked around and then ran back out. I heard a siren in the background as well as a door smashing. She quickly entered the box.

"It's going to follow us," she stated matter-of-factly.

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Kahn couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried." I smirked. Although it was quite hard to believe that an army had failed to break down a wooden door, I felt he was telling the truth. The Doctor walked around the console that stood in the middle. "Now, shut up a minute." I looked around. There was a console area, with a pillar in the middle that glowed a light blue. The walls were curved and bronze in color. There were hexagonal indents in the wall, with circles in the middle of them. Wires hung from the ceiling and there were bronze support beams around the area, with a sole chair on the right side of the console. "You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source." The Doctor placed wires into the plastic head as he spoke. "Right. Where do you want to start?"

"Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose said slowly.

"Yes."

"It's alien."

"Yeah."

"Are you an alien?"

"Yes. Is that alright?" he asked, looking at me as he said it.

"Yeah," Rose and I answered.

"It's called the Tardis, this thing. S. that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." I glanced at my best friend. The look on her face told me that she had reached her breaking point. I hugged her as she started to cry. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us." I glared at his insensitivity. A culture shock? This wouldn't bring her to tears.

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose asked, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

"Oh, I didn't think of that." I looked at my feet. I hadn't thought of him either.

"He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think?" Rose said angrily. I let go of her, knowing that she would want her space. "And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" the Doctor asked confused.

"The head's melting on the console Doctor," I answered.

The Doctor turned to back to the console. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He started to press buttons and the Tardis began to move.

"What are you doing?"

"Following the signal. It's fading." The Doctor ran around the console, stopping to press more buttons. The box shook and I grabbed onto Rose to keep my balance. "Wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!" The shaking stopped and the Doctor ran out of the Tardis.

"You can't go out there. It's not safe," Rose said before running after him, pulling me along with her.

Taking in my surroundings, I noticed we were in Westminster on the north bank of the Thames next to the RAF monument. I was amazed that we had moved, not that I really doubted the man. The Doctor walked towards the concrete gate. "I lost the signal, I got so close."

"We've moved. Does it fly?"

"Disappears there and reappears here. You wouldn't understand."

"So basically materialization. Isn't is controlled by a dematerialization circuit? It would have to be. In order to do so. Am I right?" I asked. The Doctor looked at me in disbelief. I shyly smiled.

"How…"

"I took a course."

"Right, so if we're somewhere else, what about the headless thing? It's still on the loose," Rose questioned.

He turned away from me. "It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night?"

"I'll have to tell him mother." Rose looked at me. "Mickey, I'll have to tell his mother he's dead, and you just went and forgot him, again!" Rose yelled, again angry. "You were right, you are alien"

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey-"

"Yeah, he's not a kid," Rose interrupted.

The Doctor went on as if he hadn't heard her. "It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?"

"Alright!" He looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"Did I say anything?" He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, it is!"

"If you are an alien, why do you sound like you're from the North?" I asked trying to diffuse the tension.

"Lots of planets have a north."

"What's a police call box?"

I answered before the Doctor had a chance. "It's a telephone box from the 50's, Rose." He turned to face us, touching it fondly and smiling.

"It's a disguise," the Doctor finished. Rose and I smiled at his reaction.

"Okay. And this, this living plastic. What's it got against us?"

"Nothing. It loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air, perfect." He came and stood by us, going on the entire time. "Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. Its food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth, dinner!" He explained, moving his hands as if he were eating.

"Okay, so is there any way to stop it?" I asked.

The Doctor held up a tube with blue liquid in it. "Anti-plastic."

"Anti-plastic?" Rose repeated.

"Is she always this daft?" he asked me. I looked away, not wanting to get into it. "Yes, anti-plastic. But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?" He walked off, returning to the gate.

"Hold on, hide what?"

He faced us and walked back towards the Tardis. "The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"What's it look like?"

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London." I glanced at him, looking across the water at the London Eye, and then turning to face them. "A huge circular metal structure like dish, like a wheel." Rose caught my eye and we both returned our gaze to the London Eye. "Close to where we're standing." He had walked past the Tardis and stood by a metal fence. Rose and I followed, me going along with him and Rose a bit confused. "Must be completely invisible." The Doctor looked at us confused. We weren't looking at him, well I wasn't. Rose had a mocking smirk on her face. "What is it? What?" He turned and looked towards the Eye and then back at us. "What?" The Doctor finally caught on to what we were looking at. "Oh. Fantastic!" A big silly grin came upon his face as he grabbed our hands and pulled us across the Westminster Bridge. We stopped. "Think about it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The window shop dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables."

"The breast implants," Rose and I said in unison.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

I walked away from them until I found a manhole at the bottom of a small staircase. "What about down here?" I called.

Rose and the Doctor shortly joined me. He looked around a bit. "Looks good to me." He opened the hatch to reveal a red light. We climbed down a short ladder into a brick-built area with a lot of chains. The Doctor looked around a bit before going to the door and checking it. Going through a door, we went down another flight of stairs and found ourselves in a multi-level chamber. "The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go," Rose said. She was always a shoot first ask later kind of person.

"I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance." The Doctor said solidly before he walked down to a catwalk that overlooked the vat which held the alien. "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." I watched as the thing moved. "Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?" I couldn't help but wonder how he knew what it was saying.

I watched the Doctor, barely paying attention to my best friend. When I looked at her, I found her talking to Mickey. He had survived after all. I guess they needed him to keep the copy going. The Doctor only confirmed my thought after Rose had brought it to his attention.

"You knew that and never said?" Rose asked slightly upset.

He walked towards her with me following closely behind. "Can we keep the domestics outside?" He continued to make his way down metal stairs. Rose looked at me and helped Mickey up. I glanced at her and shrugged, leaving her and Mickey on the platform. "Am I addressing the Consciousness?" It moved and groaned. "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" I backed away slightly as a face formed in the plastic and made more noise. "Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights." The plastic continued to make noise, splashing over the sides of the tub. "I am talking!" The Doctor yelled. The Nestene Consciousness quieted. "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go."

Rose yelled our names as I felt hands latch onto my arms, it was shop dummies. Two grabbed onto the Doctor as well, one procuring the vial of anti-plastic from his pocket. He struggled against their hold. "That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not." The Doctor continued to struggle, to no avail. The Nestene Consciousness grumbled and screeched. "What do you mean?" the Doctor asked. His face contorted when a door slid open to reveal the TARDIS. "No. Oh no. Honestly no. Yes, that's my ship. That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault." I watched the Doctor attempt to explain himself to the creature. Tears fell from my eyes as I watched his struggle. "I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"What is it doing? What's going on, minus the fact that they are holding me and you hostage and all?" I quietly asked.

"It's the Tardis! The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going into the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out Rose! Just leg it now!" He yelled at her before turning to me. "I'm sorry Cerys. I'm sorry." I shrugged, not daring to express how scared I truly was. In an attempt to calm myself, I began to think of the things that I took pleasure in. I only snapped out of it because I saw electricity shoot up. "It's the activation signal. It's transmitting."

I noticed that the plastic was becoming more and more agitated. The Doctor was still yelling for Rose to run, struggling a bit more. Much to their dismay, the stairs had collapsed. The living shop dummies pushed me towards the vat, setting me next to the Doctor. Rose and Mickey ran to the Tardis. Rose tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. "I haven't got the key!"

"We're going to die!" Mickey cried after her. Rose started to look around, mostly looking for a way to get out. I watched her curiously as she did so.

"No!" The Doctor turned to her, an apologetic expression on his face. They stared at each other for a moment before he turned away.

Then I heard it, the voice the Doctor had been speaking to the entire time. "Time Lord." The words resonated with me in a way incomparable to none. The dam broke and tears flowed nonstop from my eyes. I looked back at Rose who watched us, scared and curious. Mickey had yelled at her to leave us but it was Rose. She would never leave, at least she wouldn't leave me. She stood up and ran around the area.

"I've got no A Levels, no job, no future." I watched her grab an axe. "But I tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastics team. I've got the bronze!" She hacked at the rope, grabbing the chain on the wall firmly. She ran and swung along the side of the catwalk, kicking the plastic men holding the Doctor. It wasn't enough to hurt them but the Doctor flipped the one behind him over and into the Consciousness. The one holding the anti-plastic dropped was kicked into the vat. The Nestene Consciousness, in all its golden glory, screeched as it began to turn blue. The creatures holding me let go and stopped moving.

"Rose! The Doctor said as he grabbed her as she swung back to us. "Are you alright Cerys? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine."

He opened his mouth to say something but swiftly closed it. "Now we're in trouble." He smiled. There was a small silence before we ran to the Tardis. The pipes had started to explode as the signal was lost and relayed back to the Consciousness. Mickey was Hugging the poor machine for his dear life. The Doctor didn't pay much attention but I rolled my eyes at the man. He was a coward. Mickey did nothing but get copied and huddle in a corner during the danger. When the door was unlocked, we all piled in, Mickey first. After another explosion, we were soon on our way out of the sewer. Soon the Doctor told us that it was alright to exit.

The moment we left the Tardis, Rose phoned her mother. We were on the Embankment by a row of shuttered kiosks. Mickey raced out of the ship, terrified by what he had just seen. Rose hung up after a while, not getting an answer. She went over to Mickey who was hiding behind a wooden crate. I leaned against the Tardis while the Doctor stayed in the doorway.

"Fat lot of good you were." Rose ran over to Mickey, attempting to get him onto his feet.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy." The Doctor snapped his fingers as emphasis.

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me." Rose reminded him.

"Yes, I would. Thank you." He looked down. "Right then, I'll be off, unless, I don't know, you could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge." He smirked.

Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing!"

I rolled my eyes. "You know Mickey, that isn't very nice. This man just saved your stupid life. Now shut it before I shut it for you." Mickey glared at me before cowering under my angry gaze.

"He's not invited. What do you think?" He gave an opportunity for an answer. "You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere." I perked up but grew sullen. He was asking Rose, not me.

"Is it always this dangerous?"

"Yeah." At that Mickey wrapped himself around Rose. It was like watching a child who didn't want to let go of his mother. But he wasn't a child. Mickey Smith was a grown man and he was an embarrassment.

"Yeah, I can't. I've er, I've got to go find my mum and Cerys needs me. Besides, someone's got to look after this stupid lump, so."

"What do you mean Cerys needs you? I was asking her too." I looked at him and then at Rose. I wanted to go, she saw it. I walked towards her, engulfing her in a hug.

"Go on. Have the time of your life. You deserve it Cerys," she whispered, bringing tears to my eyes. I turned and walked back to the Doctor.

"One out of two isn't bad. See you around Rose Tyler." We walked into the Tardis. I sat on the lone chair and watched him move around the console, mesmerized by it all. The noise was the best part. "Oh, wait. I forgot to tell her something. How could I forget?" He stopped and pressed more buttons. When the noise stopped, he went through the door. "By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?" I watched him come back inside. The Doctor smiled at me as he went back to the console, waiting. A minute later, a smile came to my face as my best friend entered the Tardis. We were off to explore the final frontier.

_Hey so this is Marvel'sWhovian. Here is part two to the first chapter. _


	3. The End of the World

**_Hello, so we are currently on the second episode of Her Secret. I thought I'd introduce myself a bit, seeing as I just posted. So, my name's Brytt and this is my first time attempting fanfiction. To be honest, it's a break from writing my novel, that I have writer's block on. But yeah, I'm a Whovian. I've wanted to write a Doctor Who fanfic for a while and so here I am, writing on. I can only post up to a certain point because I still have to flesh out some chapters, meaning I have to watch the show and add more details and such. This is a Doctor/OC, meaning romance. I'm hoping to write more fanfics. This is the first book in the series. I'm working on a name for it. This one consists of Rose and the OC. The second is Martha and Donna and the last is the Ponds (I'm counting River as a Pond), and Clara. Anyways, feel free to leave a review. Constructive criticism is welcomed._**

**_-Brytt_**

* * *

"So glad you decided to come along Rose," I smiled as I hugged her.

"Like I'd let you travel with him alone. He could be a murderer or something." We looked at each other seriously before breaking out into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Listen Doctor, it's been a very long day."

"It has."

"Where are we lodging? You don't expect us to sleep on the floor now, do you?" I joked.

"I have the mind to."

"Hey, I saved your life. Least you could do is give us a room."

"I think we should pop back. I seem to have acquired some faulty companions."

"Don't you dare," I muttered much to his amusement.

He smirked. "Rooms. Down the hall, make a left, then a right, straight again, and another left. The Tardis will sort it out."

I rolled my eyes and started to walk off, following the directions he had given. Ten minutes later, two doors opened. They were side by side and our names were on them. Smiling at each other, we went into Rose's room first. It was beautiful. There was a wooden canopy bed/couch with light pink bedspread. The walls were a light orange and there were little butterflies scattered around. The ceiling light stood in the corner of the room, growing into a lamp. There was small table by the bed, two oval chairs with it. There was even a computer desk with pink roses. There was a walk in closet and a door that lead to the baths. Rose laughed with glee at the room. It was bigger than the one at home and it suited her perfectly. After the quick look around, we went to see my room. I was a bit nervous but excited nonetheless.

Entering the room, I let out a girlish squeal. In the center of the room stood a circular canopy bed; the drapes were blue and lilac and hung from a Tardis blue panel with lights around it. The walls seemed to shift in color, from Tardis blue to lilac to black to green; no wall was the same color for long. Drawings covered the walls, some that I recognized, and others that I didn't. The ceiling lights were rectangular with little silver stars hanging down. The Milky Way Galaxy covered the ceiling, shifting and moving as if it were a window to space. I walked into the closet to find that it was a bit smaller than Rose's but it didn't bother me at all. There were clothes in there that I would have bought on Earth, if I had the funds. Walking into the bathroom, I found a granite bathtub in a little nook. The visible side had glass instead of the stone. The tile floors were covered in white carpet.

"Oh my god, Cerys. Your room is amazing. I'm sleeping in here tonight."

"Not a chance Rosie. We'll save that for the second night. I want to have it to myself tonight. Your room is great too. The Tardis worked hard on it. You should thank her."

"Right, like she could hear me."

"I think she can. She hums and makes noise. It's like she's alive, maybe she is," I shrugged. "Thank you Tardis. I appreciate the work you put into it," I said as I patted the wall. Rose muttered her thanks before leaving me to myself. I walked around, exploring the little space that was mine until the Doctor got tired of us, or me. Smiling, I went into the bathroom and started the shower. Stripping down, I looked at myself in the body mirror. My black hair was a mess of frizz and curls around my shoulders. My arms were bruised from the Autons', as I learned, grip on me. It didn't bother me, I've had worse. Shaking my head, I got into the shower, letting the scalding water calm me. A few minutes later, I was dressed in sweatpants and a white t-shirt. I put my wet hair into a bun, some pieces refusing to listen fell onto the back of my neck and some framed my face. Finished, I went to find Rose. She was in the console room with the Doctor. She just watched him as he worked, in awe of everything. I did too, leaning on the frame, choosing not to make my presence known. The Tardis made a noise, which led to the Doctor stopping and facing me. He smiled at me before turning back to his work. Patting the Tardis, I decided to return to my room.

Jumping onto my bed, I reveled in how soft the mattress was; like sleeping on a cloud. I laid there for a while, just letting my mind wander was I watched the ceiling. After a while, I heard a knock on the door. I grunted and the door opened.

"Just wanted to say goodnight."

"Night Rose."

"Wait, one question. Why didn't you join us?"

"You know I prefer to watch. I'm fine watching."

"Maybe you should get in on the action," Rose replied before getting up. I nodded as she left the room. Getting under the comforter, I got comfortable. Within a few minutes, I was asleep.

_"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more. It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all. I'm scared! I'm so scared!" There was noise, so much noise. It was unbearable. I couldn't think. All I could only feel the pain. "I can't fight it. Give it back or burn with me. Burn with me, Cerys."_

I awoke screaming, feeling as if I were being burned alive. Tears streamed down my face as the nightmare continued to play in my head on a continuous loop. I curled into a ball, hoping to keep myself intact. It didn't help much. When I had calmed down a bit, I went to the bathroom and turned on the bath. When it was a quarter full, I turned off the water and got in. Submerging myself, I laid there for as long as I could. Resurfacing for air, I heard my name being yelled. I jumped, hitting my knee against the granite tub. I hissed in pain but said nothing. I hoped whoever called me would go back to bed but I was never that lucky.

"Are you alright?" I Doctor asked, popping his head into the bathroom. I glared at him, looking at myself, the bathtub, and then him. After a moment of silence, he finally got the point. "Oh, sorry. I'll just be in here." His head disappeared from the door. Once the bathroom door closed, I scrambled out of the tub and threw my clothes back on. After draining the water, I stormed back into my room where I found him sitting on the bed. He didn't look at me as I stood before him, my arms crossed and eyes angry.

"I was in the bathroom."

"You were."

"Don't give me that crap. Weren't you taught not to enter a woman's bathroom?" He didn't answer. "Look, I get it. You've fought in a war and have been on your own for a while, but now you have me and Rose here. You can't just go busting into rooms! Must I teach you manners?" He stared at me suspiciously. "What's with the staring? Is there something on my face?"

"How'd you know I fought in a war?"

He stood, menacingly glaring at me. I backed a way slightly. "I-I-I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to say…"

"Where are you from?"

"New York."

"No, where are you from?"

"Earth! I am not a freaking alien if that's what you're implying," I yelled, tears welling in my eyes. The Doctor stared at me stoically before he apologized and took me into a hug. He released me shortly. "What was that for?"

"What was it about?"

"What do you mean?"

"The nightmare. What was it about?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Course it matters. What was it? You can tell me. I'm the Doctor."

"What is that supposed to mean? That I can trust you? It was just a childish nightmare."

"I don't think it was."

"Well I don't want to talk about it."

"You won't go back to sleep though. How long has it been since you've gotten a proper sleep? Days, weeks, months? No, it's been years since you've had a full night's sleep. Let me help you."  
"I don't need help," I muttered defensively. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his stare. He shrugged and led me to the bed, sitting me down. He sat next to me, twiddling his thumbs. "You don't have to do this you know."

"I'm aware."

"Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be doing something… I don't know… alien?"

"Felt like it. You are an odd creature," he said, standing up. "If you need anything I'm in the console room."

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered before he left the room. When the door closed, I dove under the duvet. I didn't go back to sleep though. I just laid there until I heard Rose begin to stir and that wasn't for another few hours.

When Rose had been up for about twenty minutes, I decided to leave the bed. Putting on skinny jeans, a navy t-shirt, combat boots and my signature leather jacket, I left for the console room. The Doctor was there, messing around with some buttons he looked up, muttering a good morning, he turned back to the console.

"Right then, Cerys, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" He was tossing and catching a small red ball.

I thought for a moment. Backwards would be fun, all the history to see, but the future was so tempting. "Forwards."

"How far?"

"A hundred years?" I shrugged.

He turned to me, smiling. "There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century."

A grin played across my face as I glanced at him in pure elation. "You're joking!"

"That's a little boring, though. Do you want to go further?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

The doctor pushed a wheel up for a bit and pumped a piece of machinery. I watched him in awe. He then tuned a knob and the noise stopped. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire."

"You must think you're so impressive." I teased.

"I am so impressive."

"You wish."

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" he smiled before repeating the process. I grabbed onto the console until the Tardis stabilized.

"Where are we?" He put up his arm, presenting the great unknown. "What's out there?" I smiled as he repeated the action.

Before he could reply, Rose ran out to the room wild eyed and a bit scared. "What the hell was that?"

"We travelled into the future!" I said excitedly. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. "Come on! Let's go see." When we got out there, we went down a flight of steps and watched as a shutter fell to show an orbital view of Earth. "Wow, it's beautiful. I never thought I'd ever have this kind of view." Rose didn't reply; she just looked out the window in awe.

The Doctor came and stood next to me, his arms folded. "You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day-" he glanced at his wrist watch. "Hold on." The sun flared and turned red. "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world." Rose and I looked at him, her worried and me in disbelief.

"**Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine. Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite**," a computerized voice said as we walked down a corridor.

"So when it says guests, does it mean people?" Rose asked. I hung back, deciding to listen for a while. I wasn't really in the mood to talk.

"Depends on what you mean by people."

"I mean people. What do you mean?"

"Aliens."

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"

"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation desk. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn." I watched as he used his sonic screwdriver on a wall panel.

"What for?"

"Fun. Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."

"But, hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."

"Millions," the Doctor corrected. "But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things?"

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over."

"How long's it got?"

He glanced at his watch. "About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted."

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" I smirked at her question. If it was the end of the Earth then there was no way to save it, no way it could be saved.

"I'm not saving it. Time's up."

Rose's face dropped. "But what about the people?"

"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."

"Just us then?" Rose sighed, looking at me. As I was going to answer, a blue man with golden slit eyes came towards us.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, that's nice, thanks," I muttered, not appreciating his tone.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now." It was a blue man with yellow eyes and an oval in his forehead. His face was covered in markings that outlined his eyes and the oval thing. He seemed a bit angry and extremely stressed.

"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and Cerys. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" The Doctor pulled out a blank paper and showed the man. I cocked my head to the side, studying the paper, trying to figure out how it would help.

"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." The man went over to a podium.

"The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time," the Doctor explained to me.

"He's blue."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"We have in attendance the Doctor, Cerys, and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions." The blue man clapped and a group of small blue people moved around the room, two taking positions at the door. "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa." A woman made of bark entered the room followed by two larger men. "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." Another blue alien entered. It was mostly a head and body sitting on a transport pod. "And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." A group of black robed bipeds entered. I looked at them suspiciously, wondering what they were hiding under the robes. "The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." This was a group of fur clad reptiles. There were more groups called but I paid little attention to them. My focus was on the robed people. "Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light." I pulled my eyes away as the tree people came over to us.

"The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." The Doctor took the rooted twig in a small pot.

"Thank you." He handed the pot to me. "Yes, gifts. Er, I give you in return the air from my lungs," he replied as he breathed on her.

"How intimate."

"There's more where that came from."

"I bet there is," she smirked. I rolled my eyes at the exchange and turned to the steward.

"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe." The large glass case barely made it through the doorway. It contained a giant humanoid head with straggly hair and squinting eyes. He seemed to be so very old, the kind of old that has seen too many battles and too many deaths. An overwhelming sadness enveloped me, a feeling that wasn't in the room before. I knew it had to do with Boe. I waited until it had taken a spot before going over to it.

"Face of Boe, I'm Cerys. I'm sure this doesn't mean much, and I am in no position to ask, but why are you so sad? I could feel it the minute you walked into the room," I whispered. He looked at me sadly but there was a faint spark of familiarity. He didn't answer though. I could feel it, the loss, the pain, the destruction, he'd seen in his very long life. Patting the glass, I walked back over to Rose and the Doctor. I reached just as Rose wiped something off her face.

"It spit on me. That little blue thing spat on me," she muttered under her breath. I smiled sympathetically at her but it quickly faded as the Adherents of the Repeated Meme approached us. I backed away slightly but said nothing. If they were bad, I didn't want to let them know that I knew.

"Ah! Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs."

I watched as a metal hand held out a silver ball, that the Doctor promptly took. "A gift of peace in all good faith." He handed the ball to Rose.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." We watched as a piece of skin, stretched thinly on a rectangle frame, was wheeled in my two men covered head to toe in hospital attire. Rose and I glanced at each other and then back at the piece of skin in disgust.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." She said to the men, one sprayed some form of liquid on her. Rose and I stared at the thing, walking around the frame, trying to see if it was a joke. It was revolting, all that she'd done to herself. "Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye." The man on her right dabbed her eyes, wiping the fake tears that she produced. "Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity." I didn't notice that a 50's jukebox had been brought into the room. "According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!" I choked, trying to hold back a laugh as Tainted Love by Soft Cell played. I glanced at the Doctor to find him with a stupid grin on his face as he did a stupid dance. I kind of couldn't help but smile.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes," the steward said. I glanced at Rose and saw that she was already on her way out of the room. The Doctor and I shared a glance before going after her. When I looked to him, I saw that he was with the tree woman. I gritted my teeth but kept going. My best friend needed me.

I found Rose talking to someone who had to be the same race as the steward. "No, not at all. Er, I don't know. A long way away. I just sort of hitched a lift with this man, me and my best friend. We didn't even think about it. We don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger. I can see why she did. She had it tough and she deserved a bit of fun. She seems fine with it all. Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it."

"Thank you, miss. And thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate."

"Okay. See you later." When she left the room, she ran straight into me. "Cerys, what are you doing here?"

"I deserve a bit of fun, huh? Rose, don't you think this is a good thing? We get to see the stars and all types of creatures. Yeah, we may not know a lot about him, but I trust the Doctor with my life," I said as we walked back to where we'd first come. Getting there, we sat on the steps, rambling about nothing while Rose tossed the ball around.

"**Earth death in twenty five minutes.**"

"Oh, thanks."

"Come on Rosie, this is history. Who else from our time can say that they witnessed the end of the Earth?"  
"Mum's down there, Cerys. How can you be excited about this? Our home is about to be destroyed."

"No, Jackie's a billion years in the past, perfectly safe. Our home is 2005, not five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Come on, enjoy it. You never know when he's going to drop us back."

Rose smiled before she picked up the potted plant. "Hello. My name's Rose, that's a sort of plant, and that's Cerys. We might be related. Oh my god, I'm talking to a twig."

"Yeah, you loon. I didn't mean go crazy lady on me. Enjoy the time now, never know when it could end." Rose smiled at me and then returned to the view. "It is beautiful."

"Rose? Cerys? Are you in there?" the Doctor asked before he entered the room. "Aye, aye. What do you think then?"

"It's great," I replied.

"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper," Rose muttered, pressing her hands together. "They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South," the Doctor smiled at me.

"Where are you from?"

"All over the place."

"They all speak English."

"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the Tardis." The Doctor made himself comfortable, laying on the floor and propping up a leg. "The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."

"It's inside our brains?"

"Well, in a good way."

Rose looked at him, dumbfound and a bit upset. "Your machine gets inside our head. It gets inside and it changes our mind, and you didn't even ask?"

"I didn't think about it like that."

"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South.

"Rose..."

"Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?" Rose went on not even hearing me call her. The Doctor on the other hand, glanced at me for assistance.

"Rosie…"

"I'm just the Doctor."

"From what planet?"

"Well it's not as if you'll know where it is!" He chuckled humorlessly.

"Where are you from?"

"Rose!"

"Why are you defending him Cerys? It got into your head too. Aren't you angry? You said you trusted him with your life but that's not true. You don't trust anyone. You barely trust me and we've been friends for years. You only trust yourself so don't call my name as if it is something you don't want to know. You're curious too. The only difference is that I have the guts to say something. So tell me Doctor, where are you from?" I glared at her before moving away from them and just listened. I was irritated and as much as I wanted to give Rose a piece of my mind, I refrained, knowing that my anger would get the best of me. It wasn't worth a friendship.

"What does it matter?"

"Tell me- us, who you are!"

"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me," The Doctor replied hurriedly and desperately. He didn't want to tell us yet and I could understand, there's some things that should remain hidden. I did, however, fee l sorry for him. He had no idea how bad Rose could get when she wanted information. I was hoping she'd give it up and realized that he would tell us that in due time.

"Yeah, and I'm here because you brought me here, so just tell me," she pushed. The Doctor stood and walked to the window, irritated with the conversation, and ending it.

"**Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes.**"

Rose stood, going to stand by him. "All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver," Rose gave in, pulling out her mobile, moving it side to side. "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit."

"Tell you what," the Doctor said, snatching her phone. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery."

"Is that supposed to be a technical term Doctor, jiggery pokery?" I smirked at the man as he took out the battery and replacing it with a black one shaped like an 'I'.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"No, we failed hullabaloo."

"Oh. There you go," he replied, returning the mobile to Rose. She immediately called Jackie. While she spoke to her mother, the Doctor came by me. "You alright?"

"Why is it that you always ask me that?"

"Don't know. Feels like you need someone to ask you that every once in a while. About what she said…"

"It doesn't matter."

"Course it does."

"It doesn't. Rose was telling the truth but it doesn't matter. It's in the past."

"It was only a few minutes ago. How could it be in the past?"

"I prefer to move forward," I lied. "Thinking about the past brings up emotions that I don't want to experience."

"I suppose."

"Well isn't that why you won't tell us about yourself? That's why you got defensive when I spoke about you being in a war. You, Doctor, aren't the only one who would like to keep the past hidden." I moved closer to him, not wanting Rose to hear what I was going to say. "What exactly is a Time Lord?" The Doctor grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away, glaring at me angrily. "I heard it, the Nestene Conscienceless, it called you that. Is that what you are? No, don't tell me; it's not my place to ask and you wouldn't tell me anyways," I rambled before stopping and leaving the room. I didn't know why I had said what I did but I couldn't help but wish he had answered my questions. I was so curious about him but I didn't want to offend or push him, he was the one who had taken us on an adventure of a lifetime after all and he could always end it when he got tired of us.


	4. End of Earth and No One's Looking

I walked around for a while, not really caring here I went. I let my mind wander, thinking about everything that had happened, even things before meeting the Doctor. A tear slipped down my cheek before I had the opportunity to wipe it away. Laughing at myself, I decided to return to the observation gallery. The floors shook as I made my way there, with such force that I found myself on the floor. I immediately felt that something was wrong. Getting up, I raced to the gallery, hoping to find the Doctor and Rose.

It took about five minutes before I made it to the observation gallery and much to my happiness, the two were there, speaking to Jabe, the tree woman. As I walked by, the Doctor grabbed my arm, asking if I were alright.

"Fine. I suppose that wasn't a gravity pocket, eh?"

"No. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." He turned away from me, letting go of my arm and messed with a wall panel. "What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"

"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make sense to me."

"Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct it just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife," Jabe said, motioning to me.

"She's not my wife."

"Partner?" she turned to Rose.

"No."

"Concubines?"

"Nope."

"Prostitutes?" I glared at her, barely noticing that Rose was doing the same. I wanted nothing more than to slap the smug grin off her face but I knew it would probably land us all in trouble.

"Whatever we are, it must be invisible. Do you mind?" Rose snapped. "Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. We're going to catch up with family." She grabbed my hand. "Quick word with Michael Jackson."

"Don't start a fight," the Doctor called out as we walked away.

"I expect you back by midnight, you," I replied, pointing at him threateningly. Rose shot me a glance but I didn't really care much.

"**Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes.**"

When we reached Cassandra, she was going on about the Earth. "Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die." We walked with her as she rolled to the window. "That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I'd have such fun."

"What happened to everyone else? The human race, where did it go?" Rose asked her.

"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky."

"So, you're not the last human," I said.

"I'm the last pure human. The others mingled." Rose looked at her in disbelief. "Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even 'Humanish', but you know what I call them? Mongrels."

Rose glanced at me, noticing how angry I was becoming. Hoping to get a word in before I went off, she spoke. "Right. And you stayed behind?"

"I kept myself pure."

"Pure, yeah, right." I snorted. Rose looked at me, knowing that I no longer cared to keep my composure. "So because they decided to go out and expand, they aren't pure? Who are you to call them mongrels? I think they just moved on. With there being others out there, why would one want to stick with humans alone? Do you really want to know what I think Cassandra?" The sheet rolled her eyes. "I think you're the mongrel. You're the reason there are racists." I stopped for a moment, thinking. "How many operations have you had? I'd say quite a bit."  
"Seven hundred and eight. Next week, it's seven hundred and nine. I'm having my blood bleached," she said happily. "Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Cerys. You've got a bit of a chin poking out, not to mention a bit of a bulge."

"I'd rather die."

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt."

"No, I mean it. I would rather die. It's better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline," I retorted."

"Oh, well. What do you know," Cassandra said dismissively.

"I was-we were born on that planet, so was our mums, and so was our dads, and that makes us, officially the last humans in this room 'cos you're not human," Rose said.

"You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. You did all that for what, beauty? I would never say this to a woman but no amount of operations could get rid of the ugly. You're a hideous person who's going to die painfully and very alone. Nice talking," I finished before grabbing Rose and pulling her out of the room.

"Hey, I'm going to look around a bit. I'll meet you in that room," Rose said.

"What's there to look at?

"I'm still wrapping my head around it all. I'll meet you there."

"Sure, meet you there," I replied with a smile. As I walked I saw the Adherents of the Repeated Meme approached me. "What do you lot want?" I asked. They didn't reply. Two circled me, keeping one out of my gaze at all times. As I turned to follow one, something collided with my head, sending me into darkness.

I came to on the marble floor in the room I had been in what seemed like minutes ago. I lazily rubbed my eyes, not really noticing what was going on.

"**Sun filter descending.**"

Opening my eyes, I saw the deadly glare of the sun peaking in the room. Listening to the voice, I jumped up and ran to the door, banging on it for dear life. "Let me out! Let me out! Oh my god. Please, someone let me out!"

"**Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.**"

I continued to bang on the door until I heard someone respond. "Cerys? What are you doing in there? Stop messing about and open the door."

"I can't Rose. Please get someone to open it. I'm about to be nothing. The sun filter, the thing protecting us from the sun's rays, it's coming down. I'm about to be burned alive!"

"Okay, okay. I'm going to look for the Doctor. Don't worry alright?"

I nodded, thinking she could see me. It seemed as if she took my silence for an answer. As the light came in, I crouched down, still pounding on the door.

"Anyone in there?" someone asked from the other side.

"Let me out!"

"Oh, well it would be you."

"Shut up and open the bloody door!"

"Hold on. Give us two ticks." I sat there for a second, not banging on the door; just trying to control my breathing. My heart pounded erratically in my chest, causing more pain than needed. "You alright?"

"**Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.**"

"Quit asking me that and get me out. I did not come there to die, Doctor!"

"I was just checking."

"**Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.**"

"Well check when I'm safe. Now get me out of here."

"I'm working on it."

"Sun filter descending."

"Just what we need."

"What are you doing?!"

"The computer's getting clever."

"Well stop mucking about!" I banged against the door again, this time angrily.

"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back," he replied.

"Well open the door will ya!" I ran from the door, back to the stairs to hide from the sun's glare. It was an attempt to keep myself safe. "The lock's melted!"

"**Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.**" I groaned, looking from the door to the window. I was terrified of death, no matter how many times I had told myself I wasn't. No, I was fine with death. I just didn't want to die at this moment. That was the only difference. "**Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.**" I smiled a bit, running back to the door.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!"

I rolled my eyes at him, as if he could see me. "And where the bloody hell am I supposed to go, Doctor? Ipswich?"

"**Earth Death in five minutes.**" I sat by the door, waiting for someone to figure out a way to get me out. I pulled my knees to my chest, holding myself together. "**Earth Death in three minutes.**" I sighed, using it to calm myself down. Getting too excited would only lead to my heart acting up and that would only make things worse. "**Safety systems failing. Heat levels rising. Heat rising.**" I closed my eyes as the heat started to become unbearable. I concentrated on my breathing, taking deeper, slower breaths. "**Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes. Heat levels critical.**" Another breath, another minute closer to impending doom. "**Heat levels hazardous. Heat levels hazardous.**" The window began to crack; rays of light shoot into the room. I moved, avoiding it. "**Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical. Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising,**" the computer repeated. I was getting tired of its voice. "**Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five.**" I closed my eyes, fully expecting to die. I wished it wasn't alone. I wanted Rose to at least be with me. "**Four, three, two.**" I took in a deep breath. Relax, tension is bad. If I was going to die, I didn't want to be tense. "**One. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair.**" I opened my eyes as the cracks in the window disappeared. Bits of rock was all that remained of Earth. I waited another five minutes before I saw the doors open.

"Doctor!" I got up, taking him in a hug that he returned. I let go of him, noticing the anger in his eyes. Jabe wasn't with him. "What happened? Where's Rose?" He didn't answer. He just walked off. I followed. When we reached the observation gallery, I saw Rose by the Moxx of Balhoon, or what was him. It was nothing but the chair now. The Doctor walked over to the other trees and said something to them while I went over to Rose. We pulled each other into hugs, expressing just how happy we were that the other was alright. I looked at her before walking back to the Doctor, grabbing his hand. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, releasing my hand. "I'm full of ideas. Idea number one, teleportation through five hundred degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." The Doctor walked over to where the 'ostrich egg' sat and smashed it open, revealing a small device. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twisted a switch waited. I stood by Rose and watched curiously as the scene unfolded.

"Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces," Cassandra said as she was beamed back into the observation gallery. I wasn't even surprised that she was behind it. "Oh."

"The last human," the Doctor said.

"So, you passed my little test. Bravo," she smirked. "This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club."

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them," I said before the Doctor had a chance to. I knew the next words out of mouth would anger me.

"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, Cerys, and watch me smile and cry and flutter..."

"And creak?" the Doctor interrupted.

"And what?"

"Creak. You're creaking," I replied with a smug grin.

"What? Ah! I'm drying out!" The lines on her face seemed to grow deeper and her eyes and lips got smaller as they got closer. The gap between her skin and the frame, however, grew. "Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She was covered in red splotched at this point

"You've raised the temperature."

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor, Cerys. I'm sorry. I'll do anything."

"Talk to him about it. I couldn't care less about you." I turned to the Doctor and Rose, both had their eyes on me. "I'm sorry but she doesn't deserve another chance. Everything has to go at some point." I turned and went to stand by the door, becoming an observer again.

"Help her," Rose said.

"Cerys is right. Everything has its time and everything dies."

"I'm too young!" Cassandra screamed before she tore, leaving bits of flesh flying in various directions. I looked at her bits in disgust. Once it was over, the Doctor walked off, leaving Rose and me in the gallery. I was indifferent to what had just happened but Rose was shaken. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, comforting her without words. She didn't need any. This wasn't something that could easily be forgotten.

Twenty minutes later, everyone had left and the unit was closed. Rose, the Doctor, and I were the only ones left. We were looking at the asteroids, pieces that once made up the Earth, float by the red giant sun.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just…"

"Sad. It's so sad. It deserved a bit of respect, a bit of recognition," I finished.

The Doctor took our hands. "Come with me." He led us back to the Tardis, pressing buttons once we were all in and the door was closed. When we landed, he led us outside. It was Earth on any normal day. People were going about their lives, some happy, some angry, and some indifferent. A smile hit my face as we stood there as people bustled around us. "You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time."

I took his hand and looked up at him. "What happened?" I whispered.

"There was a war and we lost."

"A war with who? What about your people?" Rose questioned.

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else."

"There's us."

"You've seen how dangerous it is." He looked me square in the eyes. "Do you want to go home?"

I rolled my eyes before hitting his arm. "Of course not, you idiot," I smiled.

"I don't know. I want," Rose stopped, smelling the air. "Oh, can you smell chips?"

"Yeah," the Doctor laughed. "Yeah."

"We want chips."

"Me too."

"Right then, before you get us back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay," Rose smiled, taking hold of his arm.

"No money," he replied sheepishly.

"What sort of date are you?" I asked as I took his other arm. "Come on then, tightwad, chips on me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close."

We ended up at a fish and chips shop only a block from the Tardis. As we sat there consuming the salty side, I barely listened as Rose and the Doctor spoke. It wasn't really much, just small talk, and about what had transpired only moments ago. I was caught up in my thoughts to really care if they noticed whether or not I was paying attention. If they did, neither mentioned it. They probably thought I was dealing with my recent near death experience.

I sighed when I finally realized that the two had finished off the chips. I looked up to see Rose looking at me worried. A smile crept onto my face, answering her unsaid question. Content, she returned to the conversation she was having with the Doctor. I stood abruptly, suddenly feeling sick. The two glanced at me, worry very evident in their eyes. Without sparing them another look, I raced to the back of the shop, hoping this was all in my head.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the bathroom door. My breathing was deep and laborious as I tried to keep myself from fainting.

"Are you alright Cerys?" I grunted, unable to say anything. "Let me in." I groaned, using the sink to support myself. As I inched to the locked door, I heard the sonic screwdriver. Rolling my eyes at how impatient they were, mainly Rose, I let myself sink to the floor. As they let themselves in, I felt myself plummeting into unconsciousness. It was only a matter of seconds before it all went black.

* * *

_Hey, so this is the second part to the chapter, obviously. Cerys totally had a hand in Cassandra's death. I also changed some things around, in which Cerys says some of Rose's lines. I wanted to make her a bit of a spit fire. I hope her dislike for Cassandra made sense. Cerys shares my views on bullying and thinking of others as less than another person._

_Why did she pass out? That will be in the next chapter. :) _

_I'm thinking of just making this an extremely long fanfic, throwing all the episodes in this one, if I can. Or what I might do is break it up by companions. I was going to have Rose and Cerys for this one, the next book Martha and Donna, and the Ponds and Clara together. If all works out, I'm hoping to at least be doe with 10s era by end of May. I have almost half of it written out now and I'm posting this story here and on Wattpad, so if you find it there, that's me. But anyways, feel free to leave a review. I love hearing from you guys. _


	5. Cupcakes, Memories, and the Unquiet Dead

_"No, please stop. I didn't mean to overcook it. Please Uncle Randy!" I thrashed and kicked, trying to get out of his grip. I was twelve again, living in America with the only living relative I had. He was a brute of a man, inflicting pain for his own pleasure. I was usually his punching bag, receiving the blows on a daily basis._

_"You think you can come into my house and burn my food? Do you think I have money to waste! You stupid little slut. You're just like your mother, a good for nothing waste of space." A slap to the face followed the verbal abuse. The force of the impact caused me to stumble a bit. Regaining my balance, I remained there, my head down as I kept myself from crying. A punch to the stomach for not showing emotion; that's what he wanted. He wanted to see me squirm and cry and beg for mercy that would never come. He continued to hit me, screaming and cursing as he finally got me on the floor. After a few minutes of punching and kicking me he stopped, at least I thought he did. A minute later, his boot covered foot collided with my face, sending me into darkness._

I came to in the Tardis, my bed to be exact. Sitting up, I wiped away the sweat and tears that covered my face. It had been a while since I'd dreamt of the life I had before moving to London. It was something I tried not to dwell on, even if it had left me with more scars than the average person. Getting out of the bed, my legs gave out from under me a bit. Grabbing the mattress, I regained my strength and composure. When I had, I went to take a bath. It had become a ritual by now; nightmares wake me and I take a bath to cleanse myself of them. I needed it for my sanity. If not, I'd probably end up in the hospital, or worse.

Rose and the Doctor were talking in the console room when I finally reached it. Their conversation came to halt when they noticed I had joined them. Without a word, Rose ran over to me, engulfing me in one of her amazing hugs. When she released me, I went over to the control unit. "So, where to now?" I asked.

"I don't know. Anywhere you'd like."

"I don't think we should do anything for a bit. Cerys needs to rest."

"What are you talking about Rose? I'm perfectly fine."

"No, you aren't. I went to check on you. You're not fine."

"I am! Stop treating me like I'm fragile."

"Sorry if I'm worried about you," Rose retorted. She was irritated, as was I. This would not be a good mix but she didn't seem to care if she pushed. Looking at the Doctor, she grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall, out of his hearing range. "How long has it been going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The nightmares, Cerys! How long?"

"It doesn't matter."

"How long?"

"Why do you care?"

"You're my best friend, that's why. So tell me, how long have you been having them? For a while, right?"

"It doesn't matter, Rose. They don't bother me."

"You're lying. You were crying earlier, and mumbling. You were dreaming about what happened when you were a kid, weren't you?"

"Why does it matter, Rose? It's in the past. I can't change it."

"But it still bothers you. Cerys, you haven't let go of it."

"How can I? That monster ruined my life. Nothing we ever deal with can come close to what I went through with him. I was a child and he used his size and authority to take advantage of me. It's not something one just let go of, Rose."

"I get that but you still haven't answered the question. How long?"

"Months. It's not always about him or that life. Sometimes it's about things that don't make sense, things that you'd only see with the Doctor around. I can't really explain it."

"Alright then. Do you feel okay though?"

"Yeah, never been better."

"Liar. What happened at the shop?"

"Don't know. Haven't taken my medicine in a while, since the whole living plastic fiasco," I lied. I honestly didn't know what had caused me to pass out. The most that happened those rare times I neglected to take it was a splitting headache and maybe a bit of sick. It didn't make sense but I tried not to let Rose know that I was worried.

"Maybe we could pop back home and grab it? The Doctor shouldn't mind."

"It's fine Rosie. I don't really need it yet. Come on, let's go back to the console room." She nodded, not really buying that I didn't need my medicine. I was glad she didn't push this time; I wasn't in the best mood to deal with it.

When we got back to the console room, the Doctor had his back to us. He was looking at something that he quickly shut when our presence was noticed.

"Everything alright?"

"Yep. Nothing to worry your head about. So, where are we off to?"

"Nowhere. Tardis needs a rest, one night in space should do it."

"So we're just going to stay here, floating around?" Rose questioned, a bit disappointed.

"It's only a few hours. You humans need sleep. Off you go then."

"I just woke up."

"Go back to sleep then. You won't miss anything important," he replied, waving us off. Grumbling, Rose and I made our way to our rooms. After wishing each other goodnight, we separated.

I laid in the bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come over me no matter how much I tried to force it. Sitting up, I listened to see if Rose was having the same problem. She was sound asleep, something I had always envied about her; her uncanny ability to fall asleep at will. Getting out of bed, I pulled on an oversized sweater and boots. I crept out of the room, hoping to make it to the front as stealthily as possible. Instead of the console room though, I found myself in a library. It was huge and circular with books covering the walls from floor to ceiling. A rolling ladder stood by the door, inviting me to climb it and discover the secrets hidden within its inhabitants. With curiosity getting the best of me, I looked around, glancing at books that looked like good reads. After gathering about seven, I made myself in front of a fire, opting for the floor instead of the ottoman. Opening the first book was about the different planets and their inhabitants. It was interesting, and I soaked in all the information I could. When I had finished it, I reached for a smaller book titled _Gulliver's Travels_ by Johnathan Swift. As I made my way through the book, the doors to the opened and the Doctor walked in.

"I thought I told you to go to sleep."

"I wasn't tired. I've slept enough."

"You barely get sleep as it is."

"I don't need much of it. What about you, Doctor? When do you sleep?"

"I don't need it," he smirked. I returned the smile. "What are you reading?"

"_Gulliver's Travels_, Johnathan Swift. I read it once, a long time ago, I think."

"You think?"

"Things are a bit fuzzy. I remember information, not where I read or heard it."

The Doctor nodded, letting it drop. "Tell me Cerys, why can't you sleep?"

"I just can't," I lied. I really didn't want to discuss the real reason for my sleepless nights. "I've always had problems getting to sleep. It's just how things are." I tugged absentmindedly on the bracelet that hung tightly on my wrist. He was going to ask about the nightmares, I felt it.

"What about the nightmares you've been having?"

"What nightmares?"

"The ones you've been having since your first night on the Tardis. You woke up screaming, if I remember correctly."

"Do you honestly think I was having those because of the Tardis?"

"Culture shock. It could be your way of coping with knowing what's out there."

"No, this is not something that I needed to cope with. I wanted to come along. My nightmares stem from something much worse than that, something that not even you could imagine."

"Then tell me."

"Doctor…" He quieted me, placing a hand on my lap in a comforting gesture. Taking in a deep breath, I began to tell my story. "I was born in London but when I was ten, I was sent to America to live with my uncle a few months after my parents' deaths. I had met Rose a bit before that and it was horrible to leave her. But anyways, my time in America wasn't the best, memorable in all the worse ways. My uncle was a drug addict and a drunk, often using me as a punching bag… or worse," I shuddered as the memories of my past returned. "He put me in the hospital five times, but after my thirteenth birthday, I ran away, returning to London. I spent the first few months wandering the streets, doing whatever I could to survive, but I was caught stealing some clothes from a shop and ended up in police custody. The only person I knew was Rose so I told the officer that I was Jackie's niece. Jackie was furious but she took me in, treating me no different than she did Rose. She didn't have to, things were hard and she didn't need another mouth to feed, but she still took me in, treating me as her own," a tear trailed down my cheek. "I'd stayed with her from that day on, only moving out after my seventeenth birthday. I stayed close to her, and Rose, even when Rose left for a while. The Tylers are my family and I'd do anything for them but anyways, here I am now, travelling the stars with my best friend and the alien man."

"I'm guessing there are some things you are not telling me. Where do the nightmares come from?" He ignored the alien comment, to my surprise and disdain. I wanted to lighten the mood but he was deep in thought about what I had told him.

"I don't know. Some are from my time in America and others are not. Those normally end in my death, or so it seems."

"How about we figure it out, you and me?"

"And what about Rose? As my best friend she knows more about my nightmares than anyone else and seeing as I don't know you, she'd be the best person to help me, not you, Doctor."

"Well Rose isn't an alien with vast knowledge of the universe," he smirked cockily. I laughed but waited for him to continue. "Rose can help but there are some things she doesn't know."

"And you do?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I look forward to working with you, Doctor." He stood, thinking that I was finished but I was nowhere near done. I enjoyed his company and due to my inability to sleep, I didn't want him to leave the library just yet. "Um, Doctor?"

"Yes, Cerys?"

"Would you mind staying? There are so many things I want to talk to you about. If I were to ask, would you answer my questions?"

He returned to his spot on the sofa. "Depends on the questions."

"I won't ask anything about your home, or the war, even if I'm extremely curious." He nodded and waited for me to ask my first question. "The Tardis, is it infinite? It seems like an entirely different dimension. But it seems so- she seems so alive. Then there's the fact that our rooms seem to fit us perfectly. Is she alive? Is this all just something I'm making up? Who invented such amazing technology? Are there more out there? How are they built? What-" I stopped when I saw the smirk on his face, realizing that I had asked more questions than I had originally intended. "Sorry, I'm just curious."

"It's fine. The Tardis in alive and infinite. The telepathic field, like I said, it gets in your head. The Tardis can design a room to anyone's liking due to it. As for the inventors, my people created them."

"Oh, very advanced. I like it," I stopped, thinking of my next question. I didn't want to ask him anything too personal but I had told him my story and I was itching to know his. "I am curious about you, if you don't mind me saying. You're eyes are so old and troubled from the burdens you bear. I said I would not ask of your home, or the war and I won't. I will however listen to whatever you feel comfortable telling me. I am a friend, Doctor and I am here if you need me," I said, setting the book aside and standing. With a quick stretch, I began to leave the room.

"Cerys," the Doctor called. I turned to him, cocking my head to the side as an answer. "Thank you." I smiled and bid him a goodnight before I returned to my room.

I sat on my bed, thinking about whatever I could focus on. I wanted to write, or draw, or do something creative but there was nothing around me. Sleep was something I wouldn't accomplish, not after the incessant nightmares. Taking in a deep breath, I left the room again, this time in search for the kitchen. After ten minutes of wandering around, I found it. The kitchen was medium sized and quaint, homey even. As I looked through the cabinets and fridge for something to make, preferably pastries, I found all the ingredients I needed for my famous chocolate cheesecake cupcakes.

Dancing around the kitchen, I stirred all the ingredients together. It was relaxing, and probably the first time I've truly been without worry in a long time. Once the batter was together, I evenly distributed it in two cupcake pans that I conveniently found on a nearby counter. Thanking the Tardis, I pushed the pans into the oven and set a timer to go off after forty minutes. Not knowing what to do next, I decided to wander back to my room. Instead of finding myself there, I realized that I had returned to the library. Gleefully, I went to my little stack of books and picked up Gulliver's Travels. Finding my place, I read until the timer went off. When it did, I rushed to the kitchen to gaze upon my handy work. Without waiting for it to cool, I broke a piece off and popped it into my mouth. I burned my tongue but it was worth it. The cupcakes came out delicious, soft, moist and unable to be denied by the devil itself. I gathered up two on a plate, finishing the one I had touched. Walking to Rose's room, I knocked before entering. She was still asleep so I waved the treat in front of her face. In an instant, she was awake, eyes glued on the gooey morsel.

"Give me." I handed one to her, watching with delight as she devoured it. "This is delicious. What is it? You never bake at home; mum would love these."

"Chocolate cheesecake cupcakes. I used to make them, remember? I stopped after that hospital visit two years ago. Good though?"

"Amazing! Aren't you going to eat that?"

"I ate my piece. This one's for the Doctor. Everyone needs a piece of this in their life," I smiled getting up to leave. "Hurry up and get ready. It's time for another adventure. Your pick this time." Rose nodded and jumped out of bed as I closed the door.

When I reached the console room, I found the Doctor pacing. It worried me a bit but I decided not to let it bother me too much. I skipped up to him, feeling happier than I had in a while. He stopped pacing, looked at me and then at the cupcake, shaking his head. I frowned at him, not appreciating that he had turned down something so delicious. "Come on, it's chocolate. Everyone likes chocolate." Again he shook his head. "I put all the happiness in the world in this cupcake and you are going to taste it, mister." He gave me a skeptical look but made no move towards me, or the pastry. "It'll help you with your thinking, or whatever you're worried about," I whispered loud enough for him to hear. He finally walked over and picked it up. Taking a bite, his eyes lit up a bit. "Told you it was good."

"Cheesecake and chocolate, in a cupcake? It's fantastic. How did you make something so good?"

"I've always made it, even on my planet. My parents loved my baking."

"Your planet?"

"Huh? What about a planet?"

"You said 'on your planet'."

"Did I? That's weird. I don't know why I said that," I muttered, truly shocked that I had said something of that nature. The Doctor glanced at me but quickly put the rest of the cake in his mouth, savoring each bite. "I'm glad you liked it. There are more in the kitchen." He nodded, about to say something when Rose entered the room. "Great, you're finally here. Tell him where you want to go," I hastily said, hoping to remove his attention from me. The Doctor glanced at me briefly before returning to the console.

"Well, we've seen the future, so I think the past sounds good."

"Great." He started to press buttons, leaving the Tardis to start a very rough flight. "Hold that down!" he yelled to Rose, messing around with other buttons.

"I'm holding this one down," she replied.

"Well hold them both down."

"It's not going to work." I rolled my eyes. Rose was trying to stretch herself across the half of the console. Instead of her straining herself, I went and held down the button he had motioned to.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" We were all holding onto the console, trying to keep from falling.

I shrugged, not really caring. It was Rose's turn to choose. "What happened in 1860?"

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!" He said excitedly, pulling down a lever. Moments later we found ourselves on the floor, due to a rough landing.

"Blimey!"

"You're telling me. Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," she looked at me, hoping for confirmation, which I gave. "Nothing broken. Did we make it? Where are we?"

"I did it. Give the man a medal."

"How about not. You almost killed us, parking might I add!" I replied.

He went on, not giving much thought to my comment. "Earth, Naples, December 24, 1860," he crossed his arms, contently staring at the screen. Rose and I did the same.

"That's so weird. It's Christmas."

"All yours." His arm swung out, presenting the door. Then he crossed them again.

"But, it's like, think about it though." I smiled as she attempted to get her thoughts together, and form a proper sentence. "Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still."

"Not a bad life."

"Better with three. Come on, then," she said as she started to run to the door, pulling me with her.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"1860," I replied.

"Go out there dressed like that and you'll start a riot, Barbarellas." Rose and I looked down at our clothes, Rose in jeans a grey shirt, and a purple jacket, and me in an oversized sweater, jeans, and boots. "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs. Past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" Rose and I nodded and left in search of the wardrobe.

Rose and I followed his instructions in silence, only pulling a hand when we needed to change our direction. When we finally found the closet, we burst in, our eyes in pure fascination. The room was huge, and filled with more clothes that I could imagine. It was organized by time period and then categorized by decade, to our happiness. We ran around, looking at everything that was available to us. We tried on things that had nothing to do with 1860 for a bit and then decided to do so. As we looked through the available dresses, we went through what we knew would and would not look good on each other. After a few minutes, we found the perfect dresses. Rose's was off the shoulder, with a black bodice and burgundy skirt. She had put up her hair and added a small cloth flower in her hair. My dress was a bit form fitting, with no sleeves, a dark blue bodice, a black skirt. I had left my hair down, in its naturally curly state and donned a black coverall for the December night. When we were finished, we found the Doctor working under the console. His eyes grew wide when he finally looked up.

"Blimey!"

"Don't laugh," Rose smiled, pointing at him.

"You two look beautiful, considering."

"Considering what?" I asked.

"That you're humans."

Rose turned to me, with a smile. "I think that's a compliment, Cerys." I returned her smile and the looked at the Doctor. He hadn't changed a bit.

"What about you? Aren't you going to change into something more, oh, I don't know, appropriate?"

"I've changed my jumper. Come on," the Doctor said, getting up from under the console.

Rose stopped him, releasing my hand. "You two stay there. You've done this before. This is mine." I smiled and let her go, walking over to the Doctor. She slowly left the Tardis, the Doctor and I following her.

"Ready for this? Here we go," he smiled, holding out his arms for us to take. "History."

Walking through the snowy street, he released our hands, going over to the paper man. Looking at the newspaper, his face changed. While Rose looked around in awe, I walked over to him, seeing that he had not moved us to another country. I slapped his arm, knowing Rose would be disappointed. "I got the flight a bit wrong."

"I don't care."

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care."

"And it's not Naples."

"I don't care."

I knew he was stalling so I decided to tell her myself. "It's Cardiff, Rose." I watched as she stopped in her tracks, disappointment covering her.

"Right," she muttered. "So, Cardiff, 1869? Did you at least get the date right?"

"Course I did. Dates are easy."

"Obviously," I muttered rolling my eyes.

"What is there to do in Cardiff this year? Doesn't seem like much would happen."

I walked away, spotting a poster. "Hey, Charles Dickens is here. Maybe we can go see him, what do you say Rose?"

"I never liked reading much."

"He'll be telling the story. Is there anything else to do?" Just as the words left my mouth, we all heard screams coming from the theatre.

"That's more like it," the Doctor smiled as he tossed up the newspaper. He grabbed our hands and we ran to towards the commotion.

Once inside, we watched the scene unfold. There was a blue mist flying around the room, the upper theatre seats to be exact. The Doctor looked up in fascination, saying that it was fantastic. I watched as the old woman collapsed, a blue gas leaving her mouth. A shiver played down my spine as an ear-shattering scream filled the air, an indication that whatever we were about to deal with would not end well.

"Did you see where it came from?" the Doctor asked a man who stood nearby.

"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!"

"He's not responsible for this. We've only just arrived moments ago," I replied heatedly before turning away to watch Rose. She was staring at a man and woman who had gone over to the older woman. They picked her up and began to carry her out of the building.

"Oi! Leave her alone! Doctor, I'll get them." She looked at me briefly before rushing out.

"Be careful," I quickly called.

The Doctor jumped on the stage, me following soon after. "Did it say anything? Can it speak? I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Doctor? You look more like a navvie," the man replied curtly.

"What's wrong with my jumper?" the Doctor asked, looking down at his jacket. I smiled at his reaction but then turned my attention to the blue mist, watching as it flew into a gas light. "Gas! It's made of gas."

"Or attracted to it in some way," I added. My thoughts quickly thought of Rose. The Doctor, sharing my concern, grabbed my hand and we ran out of the theatre.

"Rose!" we both called as we saw an undertaker's carriage door close and start moving. Anger quickly bubbled in me at the fact that I had been so careless as to let her wander out alone. As my best friend, I knew she was capable of taking care of herself but I still worried about what could happen and how she had even gotten into the carriage to begin with.

"You're not escaping me, sir, ma'am. What do you know about that hobogoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose, who put you up to it?" The man from inside had followed us out, still thinking the Doctor was behind what had happened.

"Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks. Oi, you!" he said to the driver of a nearby carriage. "Follow that hearse!"

"I can't do that, sir."

"And why not? We are in a hurry," I growled, getting into the vehicle.

"Yes, why not?"

"I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not."

"Well hurry it up," I interjected.

"Because this is my coach."

"Well, get in then. Move!" The man was quickly pulled into the carriage and the driver soon cracked his whip, leading us down the road.

"Can't you go any faster? You're losing them," I voiced.

"Everything in order, Master Dickens?"

"No! It is not!"

What did he say?" the Doctor asked.

"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humor."

"Dickens?"

"Yes."

"Charles Dickens?"

"Yes."

"Wait, the very Charles Dickens? The Christmas Carol Charles Dickens?" I sputtered, my eyes wide in excitement.

"Should I remove them, sir?"

"Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?" The Doctor rambled.

"A Christmas Carol?"

"No, no, no, the one with the trains." The Doctor continued to think about which it was.

"The Signal Man," I said.

"Yes, the Signal Man, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius, right Cerys?" I nodded in agreement. Charles Dickens was one of my favorite male authors and it was nice to meet the man.

"You want me to get rid of them, sir?" the driver asked again.

"Er, no, I think they can stay."

"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan."

"A what? A big what?"

"Fan. Number one fan, that's me."

"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"

"He means he admires your work," I replied, easing his confusion. The Doctor glanced at me, not appreciating my input. I rolled my eyes at him.

"No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."

"I thought you said you were my fan."

"Ah, well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up," I glared at the Doctor as he spoke. It was great to meet Charles Dickens but my best friend was out there and I was in no mood to listen to anything that had nothing to do with getting to her. "No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!"

"Who's exactly in that hearse?"

"My friend, her sister. She's only nineteen. It's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger."

"Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!" Charles yelled out the window.

"Yes, sir!" The carriage began to fly through the streets.

"Attaboy, Charlie."

"Nobody calls me Charlie."

"The ladies do," the Doctor replied, winking at me. I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat up a bit.

"How do you know that?"

"I told you, I'm your number one-"

"Number one fan," Charles interrupted. We were quiet for a while, mostly because Charles was a bit unnerved by the whole fan thing.

When we came to a stop moments later, I immediately opened the cab door and escaped from the confined space. The three of us walked to the door, Charles leading the way. Using his cane, he knocked on the door. I stood there, nervously waiting for it to open. When it did, it was a woman. I was tempted to push past her but I retrained myself.

"I'm sorry, sir. We're closed."

"Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master," Charles Dickens said. The Doctor and I stood at his sides, peeking looks into the house.

"He's not in sir."

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once."

"I'm awfully sorry, Master Dickens, but the master's indisposed."

I nudged the Doctor, pointing to the gas lamp that flickered. "Having trouble with your gas?" he asked her.

"What the Shakespeare is going on?"

The Doctor and I pushed past the girl, looking at the lamp-more he was looking at it and I was glaring at the woman. "You're not allowed inside, sir," she whispered.

"There's something inside the walls. The gas pipes. Something's living inside the gas." As he finished his sentence, there was a banging sound. I could hear someone crying to let them out of a room. If looks could kill, the woman would be dead. Sensing my anger, the Doctor grabbed my hand. "That's her." He pulled me down the hall, only to bump into a man, the master of the place.

"How dare you, sir," he grumbled to the Doctor, completely ignoring my presence. He then turned to Charles. "This is my house!"

"Shut up."

The man looked shocked to be spoken to in such a manner but said nothing to Charles. Instead, he turned to the woman. I barely heard him mutter an 'I told you' because the Doctor and I were running to wherever Rose was.

The Doctor released my hand when we found the door, and kicked it in. "I think this is my dance," he said before he pulled Rose away from the old woman from earlier. Charles stood behind me, his face contorted in disbelief.

"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence."

"No, we're not. The dead are walking." He turned to Rose. "Hi."

"Hi. Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens," I answered, feeling as if they had forgotten me. The Doctor looked at me, trying to catch my eye. I avoided them and went to hug Rose. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too. So, Charles Dickens?"

"Yep."

"Okay. Guess you got to see him after all."

Yeah, funny man, great man."

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" he asked to whatever possessed the corpse.

"Falling. Open the rift." It sounded like more than one voice. "We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!" The creature screamed. I watched as the same blue gas left the two corpses and get sucked into the gas lamp. The bodies collapsed.

Minutes later, we were all sitting in the living room as the girl, Gwyneth, poured us tea. Rose was fuming, angry that she had been kidnapped. "First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man," she spouted. I raised my eyebrows at him, knowing a whack from the cane she was holding was probably coming next.

"I won't be spoken to like this!"

Rose continued, not bothering to acknowledge the man's interruption. "Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off leaving me to die! So come on, talk!"

"It's not my fault! It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs, the, er, dear departed," the man, Sneed, corrected himself, bowing his head, "started getting restless."

"Tommyrot."

He turned to Charles, who had voiced his disbelief. "You witnessed it. Can't keep the beggers down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps." I listened intently, curious as to what was happening. My thoughts raced as I thought of it all. Yes, it seemed as if the dead were walking but there had to be a logical explanation for it. I barely paid attention Gwyneth and the Doctor's exchange in fear my thoughts would be disturbed. "One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned."

"Morbid fancy."

"Oh, come on Charlie, you were there. You saw it plain as day, just as we all did minutes ago," I said.

"I saw nothing but an illusion."

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up," the Doctor snapped at Dickens before turning his attention back to Sneed. "What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that."

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift is getting wider and something's sneaking through."

"What's the rift?" Rose asked.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time," the Doctor answered.

I watched as Charles stood and made his way to the door that was in behind Sneed's aremchair. I stood, hoping to convince him to stay. Another mind could help us figure it out. Before he walked out the front door, he stopped by a gas lamp and tried to listen for a sound.

"Did you hear anything?"

"No."

"Listen carefully. It's there, you just have to concentrate."

We stood in utter silence for a moment before a look of shock crossed his face. A smile crept to mine, knowing he had heard the whispers. "Impossible."

"Is it really?" He didn't reply. Instead he rushed to the chapel of rest, moving immediately to the younger man's coffin. He waved his hand in front of the man face, dug his hands in the coffin linen, and checked under and on the sides of the coffin. I looked up when I noticed the Doctor leaning against the door beside me.

"Checking for strings?"

"Wires, perhaps. There must be some mechanism behind this fraud."

"But you heard…" I stopped when I felt the Doctor's gaze on me. He turned away from me quickly, returning his attention back to Mr. Dickens.

"Oh, come on, Charles." The Doctor walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "All right. I shouldn't have told you to shut up. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world. You saw those gas creatures."

"I cannot accept that."

"And what does the human body do when it decomposes? It breaks down and produces gas. Perfect home for these gas things. They can slip inside and use it as a vehicle, just like your driver and his coach."

"Stop it. Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?"

"No," I whispered.

"Not wrong. There's just more to learn." I decided to leave after the Doctor's comment. I had nothing more to input and it was likely they wouldn't really listen to me anyways. I looked at the two men and went to find Rose. When I finally did, she was in the pantry talking to Gwyneth.

"Mind if I join? The men are a bit annoying." They smiled at me, welcoming me to the conversation. The house felt weird to me and the urge to flee intensified the longer we were in the house. I needed something to keep my hands busy so I started to help Gwyneth with the dishes.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right."

"Just Cerys, please, and it's fine, I don't mind. Besides, I need to keep my hands busy."

"What's wrong, Cerys?"

"I don't know. I'm worried and uneasy. It's the house and those creatures. Something about them doesn't seem right to me. It's like they're showing us what will either gain our trust or empathy. A wolf in sheepskin."

"I'm sure it's nothing. If it is, the Doctor will figure it out," she smiled. It was a weak attempt but she knew that I would still have the feeling. The most that could help would be a distraction. "So, did you even go to school, or what?" she asked Gwyneth, scratching at her shoulder.

"Of course I did. What do you think I am, and urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper."

"What, once a week?" I giggled at Rose's disbelief. She seemed to forget that it was 1869 and not 2005.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."

"Us too," we laughed.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own."

"We did plenty of that, didn't we Cerys?" I nodded, not looking up from my task. "We used to go down the shops with our- my friend Shareen. We used to go and look at boys." Gwyneth stopped laughing an almost stoic look on her face.

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

"Come on, times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same."

"I don't think so, miss."

"Gwyneth, you can tell us. I bet you've got your eye on someone," Rose continued.

"Oh, Rose, Gwyneth here isn't going to tell us about her gentleman caller."

"I just don't think it right to talk about someone who isn't my own."

"So there is someone!" I exclaimed happily. "You can tell us. We won't tell a soul."

I watched as her resolve crumbled. She didn't really have anyone to talk to, besides Sneed, and that wasn't someone you shared news of a crush with. "I suppose. There is one lad. The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

"I like a nice smile," Rose mused.

"Good smile, nice bum," I said with her.

"Well, I have never heard the like."

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start," my friend offered.

"Or you could just have a nice chat. The tea could come a little after."

"I swear it is the strangest thing. You two have got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some wild things."

"Maybe we are. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed."

"Rose, I'm sure he has done a lot for her."

"Cerys is right. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to take me in, because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve," I dried my hands and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Thank you miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you, miss. And your parents Cerys."

"Who told you about my parents and Rose's dad?" I asked suspiciously.

"I don't know. Must have been the Doctor."

"My dad and Cerys' parents died years back."

"But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever and you Cerys, you've thought of them as well."

"I suppose so," Rose answered. I decided not to speak. "How do you know all this?"

"Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down her. I bet you've got dozens of servants, don't you, miss?"

"No, no servants where we're from."

"And you've come such a long way." I stared at Gwyneth, the eerie feeling once again washing over me.

"What makes you think so?"

Gwyneth moved closer to us, staring at us. "You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you two have flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness, the death, the big bad wolf and the daughter of time." She stumbled away, almost as if she were afraid of us. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, misses," Gwyneth said, her eyes wide in fear. I snatched my hand from her shoulder, staring at her, not sure how to process her words. The house, no, the creatures were doing something to her, affecting her in some way, maybe even strengthening a slightly psychic part of her.

"It's alright."

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it."

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" We all turned to see the Doctor standing at the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face. I wondered how much of it he had heard.

"All the time. Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on the rift. You're a part of it. You're the key."

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

"Well that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?"

"We're going to have a séance," the Doctor said with a tiny smile. I stared at him in disbelief, grounded to my spot. Rose and Gwyneth nodded and left the room, most likely to prepare for what was to happen. This left the Doctor and me alone. "Is everything alright?"

"No. We shouldn't do this."

"You scared?"

I thought for a moment. Fear was something that I rarely had but I knew that's not what I felt. This was different. "I'm not afraid. We don't know what we're dealing with and I know this might help but it feels so wrong."

"What does?" he asked, coming over to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, looking directly into my eyes.

"This house, and those creatures. There are whispers in this house and those creatures are their origin." I shivered. "I know this might seem foolish but I won't partake in it, I can't."

"I understand. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"You wouldn't be able to get me to," I smiled before moving out of his grip. "Come on then, you have a job to do." Grabbing my hand, we made our way to the living room.

* * *

_So just a quick note, Cerys tends to have feelings about things, most pertaining to whatever's going on. She is NOT psychic though. Her abilities will be explained around 10's time since that's when most things come to light. _

_I'm so sad though, I'm finished with 9 on my Wattpad account and it kind of hurts a bit. I love 9 and have grown to love him more as I wrote this story. I'm actually kind of glad I started posting it on here, it gives me a bit more time with him. I think after this episode, I'll be posting twice a week, probably Mondays and Thursdays. I mainly want to keep the other days for writing and homework and such, although I tend to do everything at the last minute anyways. But I'm turning a new leaf. Mon and Thurs are here, Tues and Fri are Wattpad and Weds, Sat, and Sun are the HW and new chapter days. Hopefully I have majority of this written out and posted before I go on Spring Break. I probably won't get much writing since I'm with family I actually like _


	6. The Servant Girl Who Saved the World

I watched as everyone sat at a round table, I stood where the Doctor once had, partially hidden in the shadows. The Doctor gave me a quick smile before turning his attention to Gwyneth.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in big town. Come, we must all join hands."

"I can't take part in this."

"Humbug? Come on, open mind," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing," Charles said.

"How could you know what she knows if you don't give her a chance? I believe she knows, but like the Doctor said, have an open mind."

"And why aren't you joining us?"

"I am too ill for such trips. The spirits would overtake me as well, probably kill me. Wouldn't want that, would you Charlie?" I cooed. He looked away from me, his cheeks slightly pink in color.

"I still don't think she knows." Charles stood up, looking as if he wanted to leave that very instant.

"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium," the Doctor said. I laughed at him, both amused and in disbelief that he had actually said that.

"I can't believe you just said that," Rose smirked, saying what I had thought.

"Come on, we might need you." That seemed to get Charles to gingerly take the seat between Rose and Gwyneth and took their hands.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, Reach out."

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." As she spoke timidly, I began to hear the whisperings from earlier. The feeling of dread, that had faded after speaking with the Doctor, had returned.

"Can you hear that?" Rose asked.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly."

"Charles, I think you should be quiet. How can nothing happen? Look at her. Look at Gwyneth."

"I can see them." She began to rock back and forth, her head raised up. "I can feel them." Bits of blue gas began to drift above their heads. One or two strayed towards me but almost abruptly returned to the circle.

"What's it saying?" Rose asked.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it," the Doctor said, looking at her. "Now, look deep. Allow them through."

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

I watched as she did as the Doctor said, using his words of encouragement as strength. "Yes," she replied to the unanswered question. A blue outline of three people began to appear behind her.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side," Sneed gasped.

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor corrected. I watched as the figures began to speak in the voices of children, Gwyneth along with them. Their words sent shivers down my spine.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."

"What do you want us to do?"

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."

"What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."

"Why, what happened?"

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?" Charles asked.

"The Time War," I saw the Doctor's eyes sadden, guilt riddled in them but he quickly covered it up. I wanted to reach out and comfort him but I did not, could not get any closer to the circle. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We are trapped in this gaseous state."

"So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us."

"But we can't."

"Why not."

"It's not. I mean, it's not…"

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives."

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth," it said before it went back into the gas lamp, leaving Gwyneth to collapse on the table. As I rushed over to her, I noticed that I had inched myself further away from the table, from the Gelth.

"Gwyneth?"

"All true."

"Are you okay?" Rose asked the girl as she held her head to her.

"It's all true," Dickens repeated, stunned at what had just occurred.

Rose and I had moved away from Gwyneth so that the she could be moved to a chair. Once she was settled, I left the living room and went outside the house. The cold air helped me catch my breath, helped to ease away the feelings of dread. I wasn't sure how long I had been outside but soon Rose was at my side, telling me that Gwyneth had woken up. I hesitantly reentered the house, knowing that there was a lot more than the sob story the Gelth had told us.

When we arrived, she had started to sit up. I went to lean on a wall while Rose rushed to her, gently pushing her down. "It's alright. You just need sleep."

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?"

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're their only chance of survival."

Rose turned to the Doctor, eyes blazing. "I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." The Doctor let out an annoyed breath but said nothing more to her. Rose turned to Gwyneth. "Drink this."

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain again. What are they?"

"Aliens."

"Like foreigners, you mean?" Sneed asked, trying to understand.

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there?"

"Brecon?"

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl."

"They're not having her."

The Doctor seemed to ignore Rose. "But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become a part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through."

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers," Charles said. I smiled at his amazement and that he understood what was happening. He was a remarkable man.

"Good system. It might work."

Rose stood, walking over to the Doctor. "You can't let them run around inside of dead people."

"Why not? It's like recycling."

"Seriously though, you can't."

"Seriously though, I can."

"It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them in death." Rose looked at me, her eyes pleading for help. "Cerys, what do you think?"

"My opinion won't matter much. It seems as if his mind is made."

"It doesn't matter. Just tell him."

"Rose, I don't mind them using the bodies-"

"See, even Cerys thinks so."

"I'm not done," I replied smoothly. "If the Gelth had pure intentions it would not be a problem but as I've said before, there is something off about them. I don't think we should be so quick to help them."

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Do you have a donor card?" Rose said yes while I said no.

"That's different. That's-"

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home," the Doctor retorted, angrily. Rose stared at him for a moment, waiting for whatever else he had to say. "You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying."

"I don't care. They're not using her."

I looked down at Gwyneth, knowing how she felt. I sympathized with her. Everyone was telling her what she should and should not do and yet it was her choice, it was her body and her ability. Meeting my eyes, she could easily tell that I felt she needed to speak up. "Don't I get a say, miss?"

"Look, you don't understand what's going on," Rose replied softly.

"You don't know that, Rose." She looked at me, as if to tell me to stay out of it.

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear in your head, that you think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair."

"It's true though. Things may be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me," Gwyneth said before turning to me. "Thank you, Cerys. You treated me kindly, just as your friend. You have not judged me and have allowed me to make my own decision in this matter." I nodded. "Doctor, what do I have to do?"

"You don't have to do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on holy mission. So tell me."

"We need to find the rift. This house is built on a weak spot, so there must be a spot weaker than any other." He walked over to the table. "Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the morgue," he answered.

"No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?" Rose muttered. I shared her disdain. If the morgue was the epicenter of the activity, I wanted to be as far away from it as possible. Unfortunately for me, curiosity got the best of me, and Rose's grip on my hand.

When we all reached to cold basement, I immediately noticed bodies under white sheets. Goosebumps began to form on my skin and my hairs stood on end. If the Gelth wanted the dead, they picked a pretty good place to get them.

"Urgh. Talk about Bleak House."

"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't any corpses walking around in 1869."

"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that," the Doctor said, snapping his fingers. "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder," Charles said.

"Great, here they come," I muttered as a Gelth came out of a gas lamp by the door.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."

"Promise you won't hurt her," Rose said.

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth." I realized that they said nothing about keeping Gwyneth safe. My heart began to race as the thought of them hurting her came to my mind. It would take energy for them to cross, energy that Gwyneth could not replenish. They were going to kill her and there was nothing I could do. Gwyneth's mind was made.

The Doctor walked forward with Rose and me trailing behind. "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels, I can help them live."

"Okay, where's the week point?"

"Here, beneath the arch." I watched as Gwyneth went to stand under it. Not fearing anything at the moment, I ran to Gwyneth and pulled her into a hug. When I had released her, I went to stand beside the Doctor, not caring for the looks I received. I watched as the scene unfolded.

"You don't have to do this," Rose told her before the Doctor pulled her away. The resolve in Gwyneth's eyes would not waiver.

"My angels."

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!"

"Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!"

"Bridge establishing."

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!"

"It is begun. The bridge is made," the Gelth said. Gwyneth's mouth opened and blue gas began to leave her. I inched behind the Doctor. "She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." Suddenly the blue disappeared and was replaced with a red flame. The figure grew sharp teeth and its voice grew deep and hard, taking on the voice of a demon. "The Gelth will come through in force."

"You said that you were few in number."

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses." The dead began to sit up, leaving the tables.

"Gwyneth, stop this." Sneed walked to her. "Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone. I beg you-" Rose yelled at him to look out but he was too slow. I squeaked as a corpse grabbed Sneed and snapped his neck, stopping him from saying any more. A Gelth immediately entered him.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong."

"You think? Maybe next time, you should listen to me when I say something is wrong. I don't want to die here, in 1869," I snapped.

"I have joined the legion of the Gelth. Come, march with us."

"No," Charles said, backing away.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead."

"Gwyneth, stop them. Send them back now!"

"Four more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth."

The Doctor, Rose, and I were backed against a metal gate, with Sneed in front of us.

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so-" We didn't hear the rest of what he said as he ran out of the room. We had moved ourselves behind the gate, giving us enough space so that the corpses arms couldn't get to us.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives to the Gelth."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" the Doctor yelled.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all its flesh."

"Not while I'm alive."

"Then live no more."

"But we can't die. Tell me we can't. Cerys and I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for us to die. Isn't it?

The Doctor looked at us. I knew what that meant. "I'm sorry."

"But it's 1869. How can we die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here."

"It's not your fault .We wanted to come."

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon… in Cardiff."

"Right, because everything's about you, right?" I barked.

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them." Rose thought for a minute, looking at the Doctor and me. "We'll go down fighting, yeah?" I nodded sharply.

"Yeah."

"Together?"

"Yeah." I felt a hand snake into mine. I looked to see the Doctor holding both my and Rose's hand. "I'm so glad I met you two."

"Me too," Rose and I said together. Just as were going to run out, Charles ran into the room.

"Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!"

"What are you doing?"

"Turn it all on. Flood the place."

"Brilliant. Gas."

"So we choke to death instead?"

"No, they're gas right now. We can get them out of the bodies. Aren't you paying attention, Rose?" I asked with a smile.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous."

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host," the Doctor said, looking at us excitedly. "Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The corpses left us alone, lumbering over to Charles.

"I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."

"Plenty more," the Doctor smiled before he ripped a gas pipe from the wall. The Gelphs left the corpses, circling the ceiling.

"It's working." We ran out of the alcove, the Doctor going to Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels."

"Liars?"

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now sent them back!"

"I can't breathe."

"Charles, get them out."

"I'm not leaving her," Rose yelled.

"They're too strong."

"Remember that world you saw? Rose Cerys' world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." I watched as she removed a box of matches from her apron.

"You can't!"

"Leave this place!"

"Rose, Cerys, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" I stared at him. Not sure if I trusted him to leave. I turned to Rose, begging her not to be mad at me. She met my eyes and looked away, silently seething. At that moment, I didn't care. I wanted to help; I wanted Gwyneth to be okay. I wanted everyone to be safe, even the Doctor.

"Cerys, I thought I told you to get out?"

"You did. I'm not leaving you alone down here. Not for you to add something else to your conscious." He looked at me and then back to Gwyneth, checking her neck for a pulse. "How long?"

"What?"

"How long has she been dead?"

"How did you know?"

"I don't feel anything from her, haven't for a while."

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, not looking at me. "I'm sorry."

"Yes it does! Don't you dare tell me it doesn't matter!" He ignored me and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you." The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me through the house. As we ran out the door, the house exploded and we were knocked to the floor. We quickly got up, turning to the flaming house. Rose rushed up to us.

"She didn't make it." It wasn't a question. She knew Gwyneth was dead.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child," Charles said.

"I did try, Rose, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been dead for at least five minutes."

"What do you mean?"

"She was the dead the entire time, from the moment she got into the arch," I choked out before I ran off to the Tardis. Although I was used to death, this one could have been avoided. I could have said or done something or maybe take her place. There was so much that I could have done but I knew in my soul the outcome would have remained the same. It had to be Gwyneth.

I don't know how long I sat on the snow covered floor but I soon saw a hand outstretched to me. I grabbed it, knowing it was the Doctor. Letting go of my hand, he unlocked the Tardis. I immediately went in, not bothering to say anything to Charles. Following the now familiar route, I went to my room. I didn't want to be bothered by anyone and after changing in sweats and a hoodie I crawled into my bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

So finally finished with the Unquiet Dead. I was wondering, what you thought of the Doctor and Cerys so far. And what of Cerys' abilities? Lunabloodmoon666, thanks for your review and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. TimeLadyHope, glad you like. There's so much more coming up, pertaining to the relationships that have started and have been before the Doctor showed up. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. :}


	7. Aliens of London

_It wasn't a shadow that surrounded me, it was a swarm. A man eating swarm. The piranhas of the air. The Vashta Nerada, literally meaning the shadows that melt the flesh. They closed in on me. The pain and the guilt was all too much. I had lost so much; my best friend and the only family I'd ever known were gone. I had nothing left to lose. This will kill him, I knew it but he had to survive, he had to stay alive. I was more than enough to keep the shadows filled. I collapsed to the marble floor, salty tears running down my cheeks. I wasn't going to survive this but I knew he was. Thinking one last time of his face, I let them take me, barely feeling the sting of death._

I jumped up, disoriented to my surroundings. My breathing slowed when I remembered that I was in my room in the Tardis. A sob escaped me as the recent events returned to me. A girl had died because I hadn't spoken up, because I didn't tell anyone. The tears that fell were beyond my control; they had to be shed. I pulled my legs to my chest, hugging them in an attempt to keep myself together. The nightmare that had woken me meant nothing to the feeling of loss that I felt. After ten minutes had passed, I decided to take a bath. I quickly ripped my clothes off and turned the water on. Getting in, I hissed at how hot the water was. I refused to cool it down though, red skin was something I'd take, even if it wouldn't bring Gwyneth back.

I submerged myself in the water, letting it overcome my body. The burning sensation soon faded, leaving me numb. Finally resurfacing, I pushed my hair back and began to wash myself. Once that was done, I sat there thinking about everything I had seen in the time I'd spent with the Doctor. Death seemed to follow him like a shadow. There was no way to deny it. Yet I enjoyed the adventures, the laughs, and the overall experience. Sighing, I got out the tub, looking down at my red skin. It would last for a while, not that it really mattered. I needed something to dull the pain I felt and it had helped just a bit. Once I had dried myself and put on clothes, I put on a smile and left the room hoping Rose or the Doctor would notice it was fake.

Halfway to the console, the Tardis shuddered violently, throwing me to the floor. Getting my footing, I ran the rest of the way, and found my friends smiling at each other. "What happened?"

"We landed."

"Where?"

"Earth, London, you're home."

"Oh joy," I muttered flatly. The Doctor leaned against the Tardis while Rose walked out and looked around, me following her silently.

"How long have we been gone?"

"About twelve hours."

"Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just need to see my mum. Are you coming Cerys or going home?"

"Uh, mum then my place."

"Great."

"What're you going to tell her?"

"I don't know? We've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours? No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Cerys' or Shareen's. See you later. Oh, don't you disappear," Rose said, pointing at the Doctor before pulling me out with her. We ran up to the Tyler flat and walked in. "We're back." Rose placed her keys on the table. "I was with-" I glared at her before she bothered to add me to that sentence. "Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in? So, what's been going on? How've you been? What? What's that face for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night." We watched as Jackie's mug fell from her hand and smashed on the floor.

"It's you."

"Of course it's us."

"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God," she cried before she pulled Rose into a hug. Letting go of her, she grabbed me. That was when I spotted the several missing person posters on the table.

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year. Sorry," the Doctor rushed sheepishly after he barged into the house. I glared at him, not really surprised but still upset. I never wanted Jackie to go through something like this because of me and she had. Jackie glared at the man.

"Sit down. Both of you." We listened and the Doctor went to stand behind us. Rose and I knew how she was those rare occasions when she was angry and we did not want to make it worse. Soon, there was a policeman stand in the living room. He was writing down notes as Jackie went on. "The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you two were dead, and where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that even mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer." She yelled at us before crossing her arms and turning to the officer. "You ask them. They won't tell me. That's all they say. Travelling."

"That's what we've been doing, Jackie."

"Your passport's still in the bookcase and Rose's in the drawer? It's just one lie after another."

"We meant to phone. We really did. We just… I forgot."

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

I looked at the Doctor, catching his eye. I didn't know what to say to Jackie that would make her feel better but I was hoping he could. "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of, er, employed Cerys and Rose and my companions."

"When you say companions, is this a sexual relationship?" The officer asked. We all looked at each other before saying that it wasn't.

"Then what is it? Because you, you two waltzed in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, they vanish of the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty five? What, did you find them on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I am a Doctor." Rose and I looked at each other, knowing what would come next.

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" She slapped the Doctor with all the force she could muster, which was a lot. Rose and I looked down, not wanting to incur her wrath. He stood there for a moment, stunned. In that time, Rose had followed Jackie to the kitchen. The officer left, saying he would return. This left the Doctor and me alone. Not really wanting to be there knowing Jackie would call for me next, I turned to the Doctor.

"Come on. I'm sure you don't want to stay here. Rose needs to talk to her mum anyway."

"What about you?"

"She'll catch me some other time." I stood and began to walk to the front door. I turned to see if he was following. The Doctor was in the same spot with the same dazed expression. "Do you want another slap from her? Come on." This time he followed.

We walked the four blocks in silence, the only noise between us being a sigh. When we reached my flat, I led him to the living room and had him sit. Once he had, I quickly went to my room to locate my medication. As I tucked two bottles into my jacket pocket, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Turning around, I saw it was the Doctor. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"What's that for?"

"Insomnia mainly. It's not a big deal." I glanced around my room, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Are you all right?"

"Yep. Never better."

"For some reason, I don't believe you." I didn't say anything. "Your room is nice." I nodded. "Homey. You spend most of your time here?" I nodded again and then walked out of the room. It felt like the walls were closing in on me and I had to escape. I quickly led the way out of the apartment, not caring to lock the door; no one would break in seeing as I had a bit of a reputation but I soon heard the sonic screwdriver and knew the Doctor had locked the door. As we walked, I felt a hand grab mine. I tried to snatch it back but it was in an iron hold. I turned around and faced the Doctor, my eyes blazed in anger.

"Let go of me."

"What's wrong?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"I could help."

"No, you couldn't. No one can. It's foolish to think you could."

"Then maybe I'm a fool. Cerys, do you think I don't see the pain in your eyes? I hear your screams in the middle of the night, every night. Rose does too but I'm guessing she's used to it after all the years you've lived together."

"Stop it."

"Tell me what is bothering you!"

"Stop. Just let me go, please." The Doctor looked at my now tear stained face and drew me into a tight hug. I collapsed into him, slightly grateful that I could. The tears would not stop and I didn't try to force them back. It was too late for that; the floodgates had opened.

"I'm sorry." I nodded and pulled away, wiping the last of the tears away. Turning around, I began to walk towards the Powell Estates, with my hand still in the Doctor's.

After the ten minute walk back to Rose's we found her sitting outside. When she saw us, she stood and began to lead us up the staircase. If she saw our intertwined hands, she said nothing. We were soon on the roof, sitting on the gravel and looking at the skyline.

"I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling," the Doctor replied, looking down at our hands. He still hadn't let mine go.

"You're so useless."

"Well, if it's that much trouble, are you going to stay here now?"

"I don't know. I can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, she's not coming with us."

Rose and I laughed at the thought. Jackie was a mother hen and she didn't like the Doctor as it was. Her coming along would be a disaster. "No chance."

"I don't do families."

"Cerys and I are family."

"You two are different."

"She slapped you!"

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

I smirked. "First time for everything," I muttered.

"Oi, you."

"Your face."

"It hurt!" he said covering his face.

"You're so gay. When you say nine hundred years?"

"That's my age."

"You're nine hundred years old."

"Yeah."

"Mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap." Rose jumped down, walking to the ledge. I watched her from my seat, listening to them talk. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. The only one I can talk to is Cerys. We've seen stuff up there, the size of it, and we can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we're the only people on planet Earth who knows they exist."

"Well at least we have each other, right?" I smiled softly, knowing that she and I could make it through Hell and back together.

As she was going to respond, there was the sound of a horn and watched as a spaceship flew past us. We ducked, if we had remained standing, it would have probably taken one of us with it. It left a trail of black smoke in its wake and made its way to the city. It narrowly missed the Tower Bridge, weaving around St. Paul's, and then it backfired and made a spluttering sound before it fell into the Thames, hitting Big Ben. As it made impact, the Clock Tower chimed. We stood, watching the black smoke rise into the air. We then looked at each other, smiling. "Oh, that's just not fair." The Doctor started laughing excitedly before he grabbed our hands and we ran to the scene.

The three of us quickly left the roof and went to where the action was. When we got there, the army had closed off the roads. "We're blocked off."

"We're miles from the center. The city must be gridlocked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!"

"Is that you're new thing now? Fantastic?" I smirked. The Doctor rolled his eyes at me.

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Nope."

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope."

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope."

"Lot of good you are."

"So glad we've got you."

"I bet you are. This is what I travel for, Rose and Cerys. To see history happening right in front of us." He was so excited and it kind of started to trickle down to us. I stood in awe, watching the official first encounter humanity had with an alien.

"Well, let's go see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the Tardis," Rose smiled.

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice."

"You'd be surprised. In times like this, everyone is watching."

"Exactly. Trust me. The Tardis stays where it is."

"So history's happening and we're stuck here."

"Yes, we are."

We watched the events for a moment. "We could always do what everybody else does." The Doctor looked at Rose a bit confused. "We could watch it on TV." He didn't look too excited about that but he couldn't really do anything about it.

"Sounds good to me. Might not get everything but it'll be something." With that we returned to Rose's place. When we walked through the door, we found that Jackie had thrown a welcome home party for us. She had even bought wine. Not saying much, the three of us plopped ourselves down on the couch.

The channel was tuned into BBC News 24 after we had finally gotten settled. "**Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in central London. Police reinforcement are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchenson is at the scene. The police are urging the public not to panic. There's a helpline number on the screen, right now if you're worried about friends or family.**" The channel was changed to AMNN. "**The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American airspace have been grounded.**" The channel was again changed, much to my dismay. I wanted to learn as much as possible but the frequent changes barely helped.

"**_A body of some sort has been found inside the wreckage of the spacecraft._**" The channel was changed back to AMNN. "**The President will address the nation live from the White House but the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies.**" I groaned as the flat became crowded. I couldn't hear anything over the din and neither could the Doctor. I was growing more and more agitated by the second.

"Oi, I'm trying to listen," the Doctor said. He was ignored for a minute but everyone at least lowered their voices.

"Oh, guess who asked me out. Billy Crewe," Jackie said to us, plopping down next to Rose. We nodded, not really listening.

"**_Brought to the nearest shore. Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary, the whereabouts is yet unknown. The roads in Central London are being-_**" the channel was changed to Blue Peter, a baking show.

"**_And when you've stuck your fins on, you can cover the whole lot in buttercream._**" I watched as the Doctor wrestled with a toddler for the remote with a smile crossing my face. "**_Oh, look at that. Then ice it any color you want. Here's one I made a little bit earlier. And look at that, your very own spaceship ready to eat. And for something a little extra special-_**" the channel was changed back to the news after he had retrieved it from the kid.

"**_Albion Hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything._**_" _The scene switched to outside of the hospital._ "**But the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river.**_"

"Go on," the Doctor said to the child who scurried off to his mum.

"**I'm being told that General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's been evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained inside those walls.**"

The reporter was speaking from Downing Street speaking about the Prime Minister. "**On the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now.**" I chuckled a bit and got up, deciding to go outside for air. A few minutes later, I heard someone leave the flat. I didn't bother to turn around, deciding that whoever it was wanted to be alone as well.

"And where to you think you're going?"

"Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History is happening and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off to wander, that's all," I heard the Doctor reply. I smiled, knowing he was off to see the ship.

"Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering." Rose obviously was thinking the same as me.

"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?"

"So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race," the Doctor smiled. "I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand. You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum."

"Promise me you won't disappear?"

He patted down his jacket, looking for something. "Tell you what," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key. "Tardis key. It's about time you had one. See you later."

"Are you coming in Cerys?"

"No. I think I want to go home. Mum's been giving me the evil eye all night."

"Okay then. I'll stop by later?"

"Stay with your mum. I'll be fine," I answered as I began to walk down the stairs. Instead of going home, I ran to the Tardis. The Doctor was walking at a pretty leisurely pace so I reached it a minute before him. I stood there, leaning against the door with a smirk when he finally showed up and saw me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bored."

"You should be with your family."

"I don't have a family, not really anyways. Besides, Jackie's still upset with me." I watched as the Doctor thought about it. Sighing, he let me come along. A smile plastered my face as we entered the Tardis. Within a minute, the Tardis was in flight, not a very stable one either. The Doctor was banging on it with a hammer much to my dismay. "Hey, don't do that."

"Don't tell me how to fly my ship."

"I'm not but I'm pretty sure hitting the console with a hammer is going to help." He shot me a glare and turned back to what he was doing. Then he kissed the hammer. I rolled my eyes and sat on the lone chair, waiting for us to land. When we did, we found ourselves in a storage room with barely any room to move. I watched as he used his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door. When it was opened, we stepped out. I immediately came to a stop when I saw we were in a room full of Red Berets, the Parachute Regiment. They stared at us, the Doctor pushing me behind him a bit. After a minute or so of silence, they reached for their guns and aimed them at us. Suddenly a scream pierced the air. The Doctor grabbed my hand and began to run out of the room. "Defense plan delta! Come on! Move! Move!" he ordered as he led the men out of the room.

A while later, we found ourselves in the morgue. A woman was cowering behind a desk with a cut on her head.

"It's alive!" she gasped. I rushed over to her, trying to calm her down.

"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown."

"My god. It's still alive."

"Do it!" the Doctor said before he joined me.

"What's your name?"

"Toshiko, or Tosh."

"That's a nice name."

"Thank you. I swear it was dead."

"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What does it look like?" I nudged his side, my way of saying he was being insensitive. Then there was the sound of metal clanging. "It's still here." He looked at me, his eyes telling me to stay with Tosh. I nodded, not planning on leaving her until she had calmed down. I watched as he made his way to where the noise came from, crawling on his hands and knees. "Hello," he said to whatever it was. Suddenly I saw a pig run out of the room on its hind legs, wearing a spacesuit. I blinked a few times, hoping my eyes weren't playing a trick on me. I looked up at the Doctor, before getting up. "Don't shoot." We ran to down the corridor, just as we were close enough, I heard the sounds of a gun being discharged. I stopped, not wanting to see what had happened. "What did you do that for? It was scared!" The Doctor bent down to comfort it. "It was scared." I turned away, not wanting to look at the poor thing. I've always had a soft spot for animals and this was an act punishable by death in my eyes. I didn't look at the Doctor as he picked up the animal and brought it back to the mortuary.

Tosh stood by, a confused expression littered on her face. "I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth."

"More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now someone's taken a pig, opened up its brain, stuck bits on, then they've strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke."

"That's horrible. When I find the person who did this, I'll, I'll… I don't know what I'll do. Why would anyone do this?" The Doctor didn't reply. Instead he took my hand and led me out of the room and back to the Tardis. He put her into flight.

"You alright?"

"No. That poor animal… Nothing deserves to be put through that. It's wrong."

"I know but whatever did that, was trying to draw attention away from themselves."

"So it's an alien creating an alien to slip away."

"Exactly." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "Here. You need one as well. Knowing you though, it won't be used much." I looked at the key he had placed in my hand. Looking back at him, I nodded and took his hand, exiting the Tardis.

When we got outside, we found Rose, Mickey, and Jackie staring at us, Jackie more with a wide eyed, fearful expression.

"All right, so I lied. I went and had to look. Cerys decided to tag along even though I told her to stay. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought, let's go have a look-"

"My mum's here," Rose stated.

The Doctor looked from Rose and then his eyes found Jackie. "Oh, that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic."

"You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you," Mickey said angrily.

"You see what I mean? Domestic." I stifled a laugh seeing as it wasn't really appropriate.

"I bet you don't even remember my name."

"Ricky," he said mater of factly.

"It's Mickey."

"No, it's Ricky."

"I think I know my own name."

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

I then noticed that Jackie was backing away. Rose did as well. Jackie then broke into a run, leaving us in the Tardis. "Mum, don't!" She turned to us. "Don't go anywhere. Don't start a fight!" She then ran out herself. After a few minutes, she returned. "That was a real spaceship?"

"Yep."

"So it's all a pack of lies? What is it then? Are they invading?"

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on high alert," Mikey said, actually making sense to my surprise.

"Good point! So, what are they up to?"

I sat in the chair, quietly watching as the Doctor messed around with the console. It seemed as if he did that mainly out of boredom, but it could be worry as well. Mickey watched as well, looking more confused than anything. I knew it was a matter of time before he asked a stupid question. "So, what're you doing down there?"

"Ricky."

"Mickey."

"Ricky. If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

"I suppose not."

"Well, shut it, then."

Mickey scowled and turned to Rose, ignoring me as usual. "Some friend you've got."

"He's winding you up." They looked at each other for a moment. "I am sorry."

"Okay."

"I am, though."

"Every day, I looked. On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."

"It's only been a few days for me. I don't know. It's, it's hard to tell inside this thing but I swear it's just a few days since I left you."

"Not enough time to miss me, then?"

"I did miss you."

"I missed you." I rolled my eyes at their exchange. I wanted Rose to be happy and he did that for her but Mickey was someone I thought she'd get over after a while, not stay with him well past high school.

"So, er, in twelve months, have you been seeing anyone else?" Rose tentatively asked.

"No." A small smile played across my face from his response. They hadn't officially broken up and it was nice to know he had at least stayed faithful to her, even with the relationship in limbo.

"Okay."

"Mainly because everyone thought I murdered you."

My smile faded as Rose's face fell. "Right."

"So, now that you've come back, are you going to stay?" Mickey questioned, inching closer to her. I knew they were about to kiss so I looked away, not wanting to watch it.

"Got it! Ha, ha!" The Doctor laughed. We turned to him, curious about what he had done to get that goofy smile on his face.

"What'd you do?" I asked.

"Patched in the radar, looped it back to twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship." I walked over to him, looking at the monitor. It showed the ship's path. When it didn't show anything, he hit the screen. "Come on." When it finally worked, he gave me a quick smile. "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See?"

"Wait, the ship came from Earth," I said, slightly amazed by the effort the real aliens had put into the scheme.

"Yep. The spaceship did a slingshot around the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

I shrugged, thinking about it. There had been no talk about aliens since we arrived, before the ship crashed into Big Ben. Their arrival was either a secret or they were just extremely quiet. Either way, it didn't sit well with me. I sighed, getting the Doctor's attention. "Maybe they're having tea parties in government buildings," I joked. When no one laughed, I excused myself to my room. I was sure the Doctor didn't want to be alone with Rose and Mickey but they didn't really need me there.

I plopped onto my bed when I finally reached my room. My mind was racing as I tried to make sense of everything. My thoughts instantly went to Gwyneth and the pig. Tears prickled my eyes as I thought of how the innocents almost always ended up in the crossfire, always ended up dead. I groaned, finally letting the happy façade fade. I was nowhere near happy. If I were to be honest, I was a mess. Along with the nightmares, the thoughts of inadequacy returned, as did the numbing feeling I thought had left. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my pill bottles. True I had my sleeping pills but I had also brought my anti-depressants. At the bottom of that bottle were two brand new blades. Taking in a deep breath, I debated whether or not I wanted to remove one. I wanted the numbness to go away but I didn't want to explain anything to Rose if she saw the scars, and I definitely didn't want to explain it to the Doctor. He was already asking me how I was whenever we were alone. My method of coping would only make it worse. Making my decision, I placed the bottles in the pillowcase, knowing no one would go through my things.

Pulling myself up from the comfortable bed was a bit of a feat but when I finally managed, I decided to return to the console room. When I reached it, I found the Doctor and Rose channel hopping on the scanner. The Doctor glanced at me, his eyes scanning, looking for any sign of weakness. I plastered a smile on my face. "Hey. Any progress?" He smiled at me but returned to what he was doing. I went and sat on the chair. I watched as Mickey pushed in between them.

"How many channels do you get?"

"All the basic packages."

"Do you get the sports channels?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Because that's all you can think about Mickey Smith, sports. Why don't you try asking something of substance? Or maybe, you shout just keep quiet," I snapped. The three of them looked at me, well, Mickey glared, but said nothing. Rose looked back at the screen, hitting Mickey so that he did the same. The Doctor on the other hand crossed his arms and stared at me for a while longer. I looked away, afraid to meet his gaze. I wasn't ready for him to question me.

"Yes, I get the football," he responded, finally looking away. He averted his eyes back to the screen. "Hold on, I know that lot." He pointed. I got up and looked at the screen, watching as a group of people walked down a corridor.

"Who are they?" Rose asked.

"UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people."

"How do you know them?"

"'Cos he's worked for them," Mickey said smugly. "Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."

I looked at Mickey and then the Doctor. He met my eyes for a split second and then turned away with a smile plastered on his face. "That's nice. Good boy, Ricky," he said as if he were praising a dog.

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?"

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days." The Doctor moved around the console, turning knobs, pulling levers, and pressing buttons. "Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the Tardis out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."

"Where to?"

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship." I smiled, excited once again. As much as I hated what they did to that poor pig, I wanted to check out the spaceship. As we began to exit the Tardis, I bumped shoulders with Rose, giving her a smile before letting her walk in front of me.

When we got outside, we walked right into a giant spotlight. I nudged the Doctor. "What were you saying about going undercover?"

"Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads," a voice said as police cars and Saxon armored personnel carriers surrounded us and Red Berets ran towards us, guns in hand. I crossed my arms and glared at the men. Mickey looked around and then took off. I rolled my eyes at his cowardice. Then I saw Jackie run out of the flats to us.

"Rose! Cerys!" Two men grabbed her, keeping her from coming any closer. That didn't keep her from fighting against them to get to us. "Girls!"

"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest." My arms stayed crossed. I watched as the Doctor smiled and happily raised his hands and Rose hesitantly did so as well. I was the defiant one.

"Take me to your leader," the Doctor said. I looked at him, punching his arm. He shot me an irritated scowl.

"Now is not the time for that, you moron."

"I'm having fun."

"Have it elsewhere," I retorted as we were piled into a police car.

"Keep the domestics to yourself."

"I beg your pardon? You're the reason they're here, spaceman."

"Oi, no one said you had to come along."

"Oh, you wanted me to come along. You want someone to show off in front of."

"That's what Rose's for."

"Oh, so I'm just the third wheel?"

"I didn't say that."

"You meant it."

"I did not. I was just saying-" I held my hand up, cutting him off. I didn't want to hear anything else from him. I slightly felt bad for Rose, seeing as she sat between us. I glanced at her and saw that she was annoyed. I tapped her hand, squeezing it. She squeezed back, letting me know that she had accepted my apology.

We had been in the car for five minutes without a word being said. As much as I wanted to start a conversation, I was in no mood to speak to the Doctor. It was Rose who broke the silence. "This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted."

"Where to?"

"Where'd you think?" Downing Street," the Doctor laughed happily.

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one."

"Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed."

"Now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?" I snorted at her teasing. It was something I would have said if I were talking to him.

"Apart from him?"

"Oh, don't you just love it."

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?"

"How should we know? We missed a year."

When we reached Downing Street, the Doctor left the car, waving and putting on a show for the cameras. I rolled my eyes as Rose laughed at him.

"Oh, my God," Rose said, not believing she was actually at Downing Street.

Entering the building, we were directed to a waiting room. I watched as an older woman showed an armed officer her ID and walked in. She skulked into the room, looking around for someone. After a few minutes, a man came up and called for our attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times." He came over and handed one to the Doctor. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without them," he said, putting the ID on.

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."

"They're staying with me."

"Look, even I don't have the clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact."

"It's alright. You go," Rose told him. He looked at her and then me. Our eyes met for a second but I looked away. I was still upset.

The woman I had watched enter earlier came over, looking at us. "Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"

"Sure."

"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?"

"Hey, don't talk to her like that! We're you not taught any manners, uh, what's your name?"

"Ganesh."

"Well, Ganesh, that was rude. No matter how busy you are, never speak to someone like that," I growled.

The woman looked at me thankful for my words. She then turned to the Doctor. "I just need a word in private."

"I suppose so. Don't get into any trouble," the Doctor said, before walking into the room. I rolled my eyes at him and apologized to the woman.

"He wasn't brought up with manners."

Ganesh looked at me, and then at the older woman. "You haven't got clearance. Now leave it." He turned to Rose and me. "I'm going to have to leave you with security."

"It's alright. I'll look after them. Let me be of some use," she quickly said before grabbing our arms. "Walk with me. Just keep walking." We kept walking until we reached the entrance hall. "That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North," she said into a recorder. Rose and I looked at each other, curious about what the woman wanted. "This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?"

"Why do you want to know?" Rose asked. With that question Harriet began to cry. I patted her shoulder but continued to follow her until we reached the Cabinet Room.

"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"

"It's all right. I believe you. It's- it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it." Rose began to look around while I continued to comfort Harriet. As she opened a closet, the body of a man fell out. I stood and walked over, looking at it.

"Oh, my God! Is that the-"

Before Rose could finish her sentence, Ganesh entered the room. "Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander." He stopped when he saw the crumpled body on the floor. "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"

"Oh! Has someone been naughty?" A stout blonde woman said as she slowly walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" Ganesh said ignorantly. That woman, whoever she was, was responsible for that man's death, and was somehow a part of the whole alien scheme.

"And who told you that, hmm? Me," she admitted as she reached for her hairline. A blue light filled the room and she began to shed her skin. When the skin was gone, a green monster stood there. It had big black eyes, a collar, sharp as knives nails, a bit of a stomach, and stood at about seven feet. She grabbed Ganesh, pinning him against the wall, digging her claws into him. The three of us stared at the creature in shock and horror. We watched her until…

* * *

Super sorry for posting late. I have been so distracted as of late and school is a witch. But I have posted and I will try my hardest to keep to schedule.

Hey, see what I did there? Added a bit of Donna in. So the Doctor and Cerys had a small spat. To be honest, it happens quiet a lot throughout this series. They compliment each other so well.

Another thing, this story does dead with self harm. I should have written that earlier in the series. It does go into detail but it's not until 10 so there is still some time before then. I'll put a warning in before we reach that chapter.

So Cerys nudging the Doctor when he'r rude or insensitive will become a thing between now his next regeneration and maybe even after.

Thanks so much for the reviews. I honestly LOVE hearing from you guys.  
Cerys will definitely be explained but it won't be during this series ):} Everything that's happening and will happen up until will have a lot to do with that. I don't think I really reveal it until mid series 2. So we have some ways to go.

If you have an inkling as to what Cerys is, PM me. I won't really confirm or deny whether it's right or anything. I just really like knowing your thoughts.


	8. World War Three

We watched in horror as the creature dropped Ganesh as it was engulfed in some sort of electrical current. We took the opportunity to run. As we ran out into the hall, Harriet stopped, looking a bit distraught. "No, wait. They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them." I turned to her in disbelief. We were about to be murdered and she was worried about stupid protocols. She ran back but quickly turned around as the green monster came into view. We all took off, running through various rooms, closing doors that were only smashed to bits moments later.

We continued to run until we came to locked door. Rose tried to open it while I looked for something to defend us against the alien. Suddenly there was the ding of the elevator. I looked up and saw the Doctor standing there with his hands behind his back and a smug smile on his face. "Hello!" He caught my eye and then looked down, pressing his sonic screwdriver against the panel. As he did that, Harriet and Rose pulled me out of the room. I was slightly grateful for his presence, seeing as he had distracted the creature enough for us to make our escape.

After a few more minutes of running, we found ourselves in a sitting room. There was a large settee, drinks cabinet, and a folding screen by the window to keep out the draughts. "Hide!" Rose exclaimed as she ran behind the cabinet. Harriet opted for the screen and I ran to the curtains. Just then, the female creature entered the room.

"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips." I scowled in disgust. My heartbeat quickened when the curtain moved. Thinking it had found me, I prepared to defend myself. Much to my relief, it was just Rose. We shared a small smile and grabbed each other's hand, hoping we wouldn't be found.

It seemed as if no time passed when I heard two sets of feet enter the room. If there were more of them, then we were screwed. "My brothers." I glanced at Rose who's worried expression mirrored mine.

"Happy hunting?"

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear."

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones."

"And two ripe youngsters, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before they snap," the female said as she pulled back the curtain. Rose screamed and I jumped in front of her. "Oh, look at this. This one will be last," she said as she reached for me. Just then, Harriet jumped out of her hiding place.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" I glanced at her in admiration. The creatures began to move towards her but before they had made any real distance, the Doctor charged in with a fire extinguisher. He then sprayed one of them with CO2.

"Out, with me!" Rose and I pulled the curtain over the female alien before running to the Doctor. Harriet met us there. "Who the hell are you?"

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The Doctor jiggled the extinguisher before tossing it to one of the aliens when it had been used up. Without a word, we all raced into the corridor.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room."

"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"And I like you," she replied.

"That's great but we still have those things chasing us," I snapped before I really took off, leading them back to the Cabinet Room.

As we ran, three of the creatures barreled after us. When we finally reached it, the Doctor soniced the door and grabbed a bottle from the side table and stood in the doorway as they approached. "One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off." The creatures took a step back into the outer office. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet stated.

"Yes. I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" the Slitheen asked the Doctor. I stood back, deciding that I needed to sit. All the running had tired me out a bit. I went back to being the quiet observer.

"Who's not human?"

"He's not human."

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?"

"Sorry."

"So, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent."

"Lots of planets have a north."

"I said hush. Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?"

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

"So, you're family."

"A family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?" the Doctor asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"You're making it up."

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're going to need it." He tried to hand it to her but she was clutching a red box.

"You pass it to the left first."

"Sorry."

Rose took it from him. "Thanks."

"Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter."

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked as if it were obvious.

The Doctor crossed his arms. "Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." I watched as he lifted a small panel by the door and pressed the button. Within mere seconds, metal shutters covered the windows and doors. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?"

"Ah." I stood and began to walk around the room. Tears began to well up and my anger seemed to boil over. I wanted to leave the room, to get away from everything but there was no real way of getting out of there. We were stuck. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned into the body. Half of me wanted it to be the Doctor but the other didn't. To my happiness, it was Rose.

"We'll get out of here. I know we will."

"I don't care about that. It's just so much. Rose, it seems as if everything is crashing down on me. I thought I was fine but I'm not. It's coming back and I don't know if it'll go away." I looked up at my best friend and saw the worry in her eyes. I was normally strong, never admitting anything but here I was dumping my emotions onto her.

"I'm here for you and I'm sure the Doctor is too."

"He can't know. He'll leave me behind."

"No, he wouldn't. I wouldn't let him," she smiled. I nodded and wiped away the stray tear before thanking her. When we turned around, we saw the Doctor dragging Ganesh's body into a store room, the same one the Prime Minister was in.

"What was his name?"

"Who?"

"This one. The secretary or whatever he was called."

"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name."

"Ganesh," I said quietly. It was loud enough for the Doctor to hear. He turned to face me and then looked away.

"Sorry," he said to the body before getting up and leaving the closet. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

"No. This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?" Rose asked.

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans." He walked around running the sonic screwdriver on the walls.

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?"

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a smaller size."

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes."

"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him," Rose apologized.

"Well that's a strange friendship."

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" the Doctor questioned.

"Oh, hardly."

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?"

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got, like, defense codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?" I smirked at Rose. Leave it to her to choose something that could leave more than the Slitheen dead. I watched as the Doctor stood there, listening to them talk and thinking.

"You're a very violent young woman."

"I'm serious. We could."

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

"Say that again," the Doctor said, moving to the table.

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything. All of it."

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN."

"Like that's ever stopped them."

"Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?"

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World. They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset."

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?"

"You're very good at this."

"Thank you."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. "Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?" Then Rose's phone beeped.

"Oh, that's me."

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?"

"He zapped it. Super phone."

"Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts."

"Dead downstairs, yeah."

"It's Mickey."

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy."

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all," Rose said as she held up her phone. The screen showed a picture of an electrocuting Slitheen. Rose called him, asking him about it. "Is she alright though? Don't put her on, just tell me." Mickey must have answered but I was unsure since after she had asked, the Doctor took the phone from Rose's hand.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer." The Doctor was quiet for a moment, listening to him speak. "Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, er, I need you." That seemed to have gotten Mickey to do what the Doctor asked. The Doctor removed the phone from his ear and plugged it into the conference phone speaker. "Say again."

"It's asking for the password."

"Buffalo. Two F's, one L."

"So, what's that website," I heard Jackie ask in the distance.

"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark."

"Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Oh, leave him alone."

"Thank you. Password again."

"Just repeat it every time."

"Big Ben- why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them.:

"A lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?"

"Oh, listen to her," Jackie grumbled.

"At least I'm trying."

"Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind. Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughters disappear of the face of the Earth."

"I told you what happened."

"I'm talking to him. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor and maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Are my daughters safe?"

"We're fine," I piped up.

"Are they safe? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?" The Doctor was quiet for a moment, looking at us. "Well, what's the answer?"

"We're in," Mickey said loudly. He had probably taken the phone back from her.

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that."

"What is it?"

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

"He'll have to answer to me one day," Jackie muttered from a small distance.

"Hush."

"It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?"

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating." I then heard a doorbell ring from over the phone. "Hush!" Mickey had sent Jackie to go answer it, something I thought was pretty stupid but I said nothing. "It's beaming out onto space, who's it for?" In the distance I heard Jackie scream. As she got closer to the phone, I heard her say something about a Slipeen. I looked at the Doctor and Rose.

"They've found us," Mickey said.

"Mickey, I need that signal."

"Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!"

"We can't. It's by the front door." Mickey was silent all except for his breathing. "Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us."

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet exclaimed. "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!"

"I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run!" We then heard the sound of the door breaking.

"That's my mother."

"Right, if we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet." The Doctor made his way to the end of the table. Rose and Harriet followed him while I turned my body to face him. "So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green."

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Good sense of smell."

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenalin."

"Narrows it down."

"The pig technology."

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?"

"Narrows it down."

"It's getting in!" Mickey yelled.

"They hunt like it's a ritual."

"Narrows it down."

"Wait a minute. Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, er-"

"Bad breath!" Rose added.

"That's it!"

I looked at the Doctor. "Wait, wouldn't that be calcium decay?"

He smiled. "Now, that narrows it down!"

"We're getting there Mum!"

"Too late."

"Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!" The Doctor said excitedly.

"Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter," Mickey sarcastically said.

"Get into the kitchen!"

"My God, it's going to rip us apart!"

"Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!"

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How should I know?"

"It's your damn kitchen," I replied.

""Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf," Rose told him. I looked at her and said nothing. She was probably the one who put it there.

"Oh, give it here. What do you need?"

"Anything with vinegar!"

"Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs."

The Doctor turned to Rose, a slightly disgusted look on his face. "And you kiss this man?" Rose rolled her eyes at the question.

"Hannibal?"

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet explained.

"Oh. Well, there you go then." We each picked up a glass of port and toasted the moment, happy we had saved Mickey and Jackie. As we celebrated, I heard the TV.

"Listen to this," Mickey said. The voices got louder, telling us that he put the phone to the speaker.

"**Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds.**"

I looked at the Doctor, my face scrunched in terror. He didn't look at me but he whipped his head to the speaker, leaning over it with Rose and Harriet. "What?"

"**Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you planet Earth is at war.**"

"He's making that up, right?" I asked him.

"There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it," the Doctor answered, confirming my thoughts.

"Do you think they'll believe him?"

"They did last time."

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out."

"They release the defense codes-"

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," the Doctor finished for Rose.

"But why?"

The Doctor walked over to the panel, opening the metal shutters. "You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there." The small blonde woman walked to the head of the group as the Doctor spoke. "You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."

"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?"

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"So you'd destroy a whole planet just for an advertisement? You're mad, the lot of you!" I yelled.

The woman looked at me, scowling as if my very existence was beneath her. After staring each other down for a moment, she returned her attention to the Doctor. "The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of five billion lives."

"Bargain."

"Are you kidding me? You're about to murder people!" I took a threatening step towards her but felt a hand grab mine. I looked down and saw that the Doctor had intertwined his fingers with mine.

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

They laughed. "What, you?" she scoffed. "Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me," the Doctor calmly replied before he closed the shutters in her laughing face. He walked over to where Rose and Harriet were, still holding my hand. He sat me down and lowered himself so that he was looking in my eyes. "Are you alright?" I nodded. "Good." He stood and began to pace. I watched him for a while before my eyes began to droop. I jumped up when I heard Jackie's voice.

"All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do," Jackie said.

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet offered.

"Mickey, any luck?"

"There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail."

"Voicemail dooms us all."

"There's a way out." I perked up, looking at the Doctor. He had moved from leaning on the door to a spot where he could easily look at us.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out."

"Then why don't we use it?" Rose asked.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughters will be safe."

"Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it," Rose and I said together.

"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?"

"Yeah."

"Please, Doctor. Please. They're my daughters. They're just kids."

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what are you waiting for?" I quietly asked.

"I could save the world but lose you," he replied looking at us, his eyes solely on me.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," Harriet said.

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie asked.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it." The Doctor looked at us and smiled.

"How do we get out?" Rose asked him.

We don't. We stay here." The Doctor reached for the Emergency Protocols from the red briefcase. He looked at us one more time before sifting through the folders. "Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything."

"What're you doing?"

"Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."

"Right, we need to select a missile."

"We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes."

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"Sub Harpoon, UMG-A4A."

"That's the one. Select."

"I could stop you."

"Do it then," Mickey replied to Jackie.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah."

I stood and went towards the phone. "Mickey the idiot," I said, using the Doctor's name for him. "This, the world, it's in your hands. Please don't mess it up."

The Doctor smiled at me. "Fire."

"Oh, my God."

"How solid are these?"

"Not solid enough. Build for short range attack, nothing this big."

"All right, now I'm making the decision. I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out," Rose said as she went to the closet, opening the door. "It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a doorframe. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on." She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the closet. Harriet also came over and began to help us empty it.

"It's on radar."

"Counter defense five five six."

"Stop them from intercepting," the Doctor replied.

"I'm doing it now."

"Good boy."

"Five five six neutralized," Mickey said. The Doctor unplugged the phone and came into the closet, sitting down between Rose and me.

"Here we go. It was nice knowing you three." Harriet said as we took each other's hands. I gripped the Doctor's tightly. "Hannibal!" Just then the missile made impact. The room shook violently and then started to roll, sending us tumbling around the small area. Rose and Harriet screamed while I made inhuman sounds. When it finally stooped, I found myself on top of the Doctor. I quickly got up and then went to help Harriet and Rose up. When we were all standing and had seen no injures on each other, the Doctor went to push the metal door, Harriet stepped out first. "Made in Britain."

As we exited the room, a man in a police uniform ran up to us. "Oh, my God. Are you alright?"

I almost laughed as Harriet whipped out her ID. "Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister."

"Maybe you should have a go."

"Me? Huh? I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for you," Rose smiled.

"Me too. I'm sure you'd be a great Prime Minister."

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!" We watched as she made her way down the rubble pile. "We're safe! The Earth is safe!" We followed her onto the street. "Sergeant!"

We stopped walking and the Doctor turned to us. "I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age."

"I can see it."

"The crisis has passed!" Harriet yelled with her arms outstretched. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today!" We looked at her one more time before we started to go back to the Tyler flat.

The moment Rose and I walked inside, Jackie had her arms around us. After the hugging stopped, Rose and I shared a chair while Jackie leaned against it. The TV was on the news and Harriet Jones was speaking to the reporters. "Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her, taking all the credit. Should be you on there. My daughters saved the world!"

"The Doctor helped too," I said.

Jackie went and sat on the opposite seat. "All right, then. Him too. You should be given knighthoods."

"That's not the way he does things. No fuss. He just moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance," Rose told her.

"He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that."

"Oh, now the world has changed. You're saying nice things about him," I laughed.

"Well, I reckon I've got no choice. There's no getting rid of him since you're infatuated."

"I am not infatuated, Jackie."

"What does he eat?"

Rose and I looked at her confused. "How do you mean?"

"I was going to do shepherd's pie. All of us. A proper sit down, 'cos I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I don't know, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things."

Rose and I laughed, imagining him eating safety pins. "He'll have shepherd pie."

"You're going to cook for him?" I asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's finally met his match."

"You're not too old for a slap, you know. You can go and visit your Gran tomorrow. You'd better learn some French. I told her you were in France. I said you were au-pairing," Jackie said to us. Rose's family was my family and Gran loved me just as much as she did Rose, maybe even more. I turned to Rose as her phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw it said TARDIS. I looked at her. Instead of answering, she handed the phone to me.

"Hey?" I stood and walked out to the kitchen.

"Cerys? I thought I was calling Rose."

"She gave me the phone. Wanted to talk to her mum some."

"Right. I'll be a couple hours, then we can go."

"You've got a phone?"

"You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."

"Jackie's cooking."

"Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer."

I chuckled. "No, she's cooking tea for us."

"I don't do that."

"She wants to get to know you."

"Tough. I've got better things to do."

I sighed. He was being stubborn. I knew he didn't like domestics but she was giving him a chance. "I want you to come," I muttered. He was silent for a moment. It seemed like he was considering it.

"No."

"It's just tea."

"Not to me it isn't."

"Then what is it? She's basically my mother. Do you honestly think she'd not want to get to know the man her daughters are travelling with?"

"Well, she's not mine." I let out a puff of air, once again annoyed with the Doctor. "Look, I don't do tea with mums."

"But that's not fair."

"Well, you can stay there if you want, but right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide."

"Stop tempting me," I growled. He chuckled, knowing it was working.

"I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice."

"I hate you so much."

"No you don't." I hung up the phone, knowing what my choice would be.

I walked back into the living room, looking at Rose. I grabbed her and dragged her to her room. "He's not coming for tea. But he wants us to travel with him still."

"No domestics?"

"Yep."

"Unless it's with you, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the car earlier, you two were arguing like an old married couple."

"We weren't."

"Were too."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you coming?" Rose didn't answer. Instead she grabbed a backpack and began to cram clothes into it.

"Rose, Cerys, I was thinking. I've got that bottle of Amaretto from New Year's Eve. Does he drink?"

"Yeah, he does," Rose replied.

Jackie looked down and saw the bag. Her eyes began to tear up. "Don't go sweethearts. Please don't go." I looked at the floor, feeling bad for being a cause for her tears. I walked over to her and hugged her, trying not to bump the mugs from her hands.

"We'll be back, mum. He's not going to let anything happen to us. "I pulled away and say that she was now crying.

"You never called me that."

"I know but I've always considered you to be my mum. You took me in and raised me as your own. Jackie, you are my mum." She nodded and placed a kiss on my cheek.

When Rose had finished packing, the three of us left the flat and went to meet with the Doctor. "I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends. I'll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will." She was trying so hard to keep us with her.

"We're not leaving because of you. We're travelling, that's all, and then we'll come back."

"But it's not safe."

"Mum, if you saw what was out there you'd never stay home."

The Doctor turned his attention to Rose, looking at her overstuffed bag. "Got enough stuff?"

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with us," Rose said, handing him her bag. When he had taken it, she went over to Mickey. I went and stood by the Doctor, leaning against the Tardis.

"Come with us. There's plenty of room."

"No chance. He's a liability, I'm not having him on board."

"We'd be dead without him," Rose replied.

"My decision's final."

"Sorry." Rose gave Mickey a quick kiss goodbye.

"Good luck, yeah."

Jackie turned to the Doctor, walking up to him. "You still can't promise me. What if they get lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and they're left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?"

Rose grabbed her arms, turning her around. "Mum, you're forgetting. It's a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds' time, yeah?" We both went to hug Jackie. I hugged her first and then went into the Tardis after the Doctor. He glanced at me and then went to the console. I sighed and started off to the library. When I got there, I smiled as I saw my stack of books still waiting for me. Picking up the last one I had started, I immersed myself in the world until my eyes became heavy and I succumbed to sleep.

* * *

So most of my chapters are AT LEAST 3000 words long so if some seem shorter than others, it could be because I'm not in love with the actual episode. This wasn't one of my favorites which I suppose is the reason. I honestly can't wait to post Dalek. It shows a bit more to the Doctor and Cerys' relationship.

Another thing, I am skipping chapters. There were some that I really didn't like much and where those chapters would have been, there will be original chapters instead. Those will be pretty short, kind of fillers, but will contain a lot of information about Cerys' past.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far. I am having so much fun writing it, almost at the End of Time. I've been putting it off because DT's departure kills me every time but I will say, things will definitely change as the story goes on so stay tuned.


	9. Dalek

I awoke to someone carrying me down a corridor. Looking up, I saw that it was the Doctor. I was still a bit upset with him but I didn't struggle against him. Sensing I was awake, he looked down at me. I returned the gaze, not really wanting to say anything. "Can you walk?"

"I'm tired, not lame."

"Glad to hear," he responded before placing me on the floor. I glared at him and then turned on my heels. "Next time I'll leave you."

I whipped around. "I never asked you to move me, Doctor. You took it upon yourself. But please, leave me there next time. I was quite comfortable. Besides, who said anything about there being a next time?" I snapped before I turned around and stormed to my room. When I reached the door, I suddenly decided that I didn't want to be alone. With a hesitant knock on Rose's door, I let myself in. Rose was asleep, softly snoring in the process. I smiled to myself before walking in, closing the door behind me. As quietly as possible, I inched onto the bed, situating myself under the covers. I silently hoped I would have a restless slumber but I knew it was rarely the case. Sighing, I relaxed and finally dozed off.

A soft thwack woke me. I jumped up, looking around a bit disoriented before my eyes landed on my best friend. I glared at her laughing figure, deciding what I was going to say. "Thanks for the wake-up call."

"Anytime. What are you doing in here anyways?"

"Same as usual."

"You can't let them keep you up at night."

"Last I recalled, I was peacefully sleeping until you hit me."

"Yeah, well I'm not sorry." She looked at me, her nose pinched up as she took in my attire. "You didn't sleep in your room, did you?"

"No, the library."

"So, how'd you get here?"

"The Doctor carried me out of there."

"How nice."

"Yeah, until I woke up. We got into it again."

"You know Cerys, I think you two should have a sit down."

"What for?"

"To uncover the reason for the love/hate relationship you share."

"I don't need that and I don't hate him."

"Then what is it?" she inquired as she sat next to me, crossing her legs.

I don't know. A few nights ago we were talking and we were fine but after that thing with the Slitheen, I don't know."

"Do you want to be here?"

"Yes. "

"Do you trust him?"

"Although I know I shouldn't, I do. He's saved our lives more than once."

"True. What did you talk about? When you were in the library?"

"He asked about the nightmares and why I had them."

"Did you tell him?"

"Not really. Rose, you and your mum are the only people who know the truth. I can't have another person knowing."

"We're travelling with him, though."

"Have you told him anything about yourself? Your deepest, darkest secrets that I only know?"

"No, but-"

"But nothing Rose. He doesn't need to know about that."

"What if one day he wants to know those things?"

"Rosie, I doubt I'll live that long."

She looked at me flabbergasted by my words. I couldn't blame her. She had been there in my darkest days and those words were forever etched in her mind. That one sentence could strike a fear in her that would never be quenched. "Cerys…"

"Not the time, Rosie. I'm not saying now, or even a few days from now. All I'm saying is that there is going to be a time where it's going to come to that. I just fear what I'm leaving behind."

"And what's that?" Her voice was no louder than a whisper.

"My sister and mum. Jackie would be devastated. Last time almost destroyed her."

"She thinks of you as her daughter, Cerys. Of course it would destroy her! It would kill me. I never want to see something like that again. I was so scared and you didn't make it any better."

"I know and I've apologized for it more times than I could count."

"If you feel that way, you could always come to me. You don't have to deal with it alone."

"Thanks, Rosie. I'm really glad that I have you."

"I'm glad I have you too Cerys. Things wouldn't be the same without you." We grinned at each other for a moment before I stood. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room. I want to shower and change."

"Alright. Meet me in the console room."

"Rose…"

"I'm not planning anything, I'm ready for another adventure."

"Fine. I'll meet you there in twenty."

"Fifteen."

"Twenty." Rose rolled her eyes before finally giving in. With a content smile, I left her room and went to mine.

The moment I closed my room's door, I stripped down and almost ran to the bathroom. Once the water was running hot, I jumped in, relishing in the heat. After ten minutes, I hopped out and quickly dried off, letting my hair air dry. Within ten minutes, I had thrown on ripped jeans, a black tank top, a green and grey plaid shirt, combat boots, and my black beanie. When I was presentable, I left the room, making my way to the front.

When I got there, Rose and the Doctor were talking quietly to each other. Not paying much attention to them, I went and sat on the chair. When they finally stopped their conversation, I smiled at them, er, Rose. She quickly returned it. As I was going to say something, a beeping sound filled the room. Rose looked to the Doctor who was already working his way around the console. With a less than shaky flight, we stopped. The Doctor was the first to leave the Tardis, followed by Rose. "So, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course." He said looking around.

"Where are we?"

"Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."

"And when are we?"

"Two thousand and twelve," he replied before looking at display case.

"God, that's so close. So we should be twenty six, Cerys." I nodded but remained quiet. I watched as the Doctor moved around until he found a light switch. He flicked it and light flooded the place. The room which we stood was huge, with cement walls and display cases scattered everywhere with bits and odds in them. "Blimey. It's a great big museum."

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby." The Doctor and Rose started walking down the aisle, observing the artifacts. "They must have spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship."

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed."

"Oh, look at you." Rose thought he was talking to her but his attention was on the head of some metal thing. A shudder danced down my spine, feeling as if I should know what it was. I pushed it down, not wanting to seem physically affected.

"What is it?"

"An old friend of mine. Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." I held back a snigger at his last comment. In my eyes, he was old.

"Is that where the signal's coming from?"

"No, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." He reached out and tapped the glass. The instant he did, an alarm began to sound. I jumped slightly, not expecting the sudden reaction. As I glanced around, I saw guards armed to the teeth surround us. I groaned and glared at the Doctor. I was irritated to say the least. He just had to touch something.

"Well, if someone's collecting aliens, that makes you exhibit A," Rose snorted before someone came forward."

"You are trespassing on private property."

"Figured that bit," I responded. "So, who owns the place?"

The man glanced at me, his gaze lingering for a moment. "You are to come with us." With one last look at me, he turned and led us out of the room.

The Doctor walked ahead of Rose and me with his arms behind his back. As we made our way down corridors, I couldn't help but wonder who was behind this. Sure, the museum was great but, it seemed to be too much for 2012. The officer stopped in front of a door. Knocking, he opened it and led us inside. In the office were two men, the younger one was showing the other some sort of device.

"What does it do?"

"Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel."

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor said. I silently groaned. He always had to say something.

"Shut it."

"Really, though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No, it just looks silly." He reached for the device. As he did so, the guards aimed their guns at him. The older man motioned for them to lower their guns, which they did. He then stood and handed the item to the Doctor. Getting a glimpse, I saw that it was curved and small. "You just need to be delicate." He began to stroke gently, making a soft sound leave it. He continued to do so until the older man stood.

The man smiled."It's a musical instrument."

"And it's a long way from home."

"Here, let me," he said as he grabbed it. As he stroked it, a harsher sound reached our ears. I grimaced, knowing he was going it wrong.

"I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision." Listening to the Doctor, he stroked it again, this time producing a nicer sound. "Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you," the man replied before he very casually tossed aside. I glared at his mistreatment of the artifact but said nothing. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know," he said almost cockily. "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in? Fifty three floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices. You're quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty."

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms, unimpressed. Rose on the other hand was annoyed. "Oi, watch it, you."

"She's English too! Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend," he said to the boy, ignoring me.

"This is Mister Henry Van Statten."

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose remarked.

"Mister Van Statten owns the internet."

"Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet."

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?"

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"Um, you didn't really capture us. The idiot just happened to alert your security of our presence. If that's what you consider capturing us then you're quite daft," I snapped.

The two men looked at me but then went back to their conversation as if I hadn't said anything. "You tell me."

"The cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." I smirked at Rose's remark. She was right, it was like they were trying to compete for who's bigger.

"Goodard," he said to the other woman in the office with us, "Inform the Cage we're heading down. You, English." The boy looked at him as he walked into the lift. "Look after the girls. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."

"Wait. How about you go with him," Rose said to me, pointing to the Doctor."

"Why should I?"

"Keep him out of trouble. There's nothing worse than the Doctor in trouble. Besides, you're the only one who could get some sense into him." I sighed and nodded. I knew what she was doing and although I had given in, I wasn't going to talk to the man. With it sorted out, I left the room the Doctor and Van Statten.

We walked for a few minutes before we were standing outside of a room that I guessed was the cage. "We've tried everything. The creature has shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside."

"Inside? Inside what?"

"Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."

"The Metalron?" I asked.

"Thought of it myself. Good, isn't it? Although I'd much to prefer to find out it's real name."

"Seriously, there's an alien in there and that's the best you could come up with? Now I feel even worse for it." Van Statten glared at me as I finished up. I returned the glare, not backing down. He was obviously an idiot, whether or not he wanted to believe he wasn't.

The scientist looked at us and then tried to hand gloves to the Doctor. "Here, you'd better put these on. The last guy that touched it burst into flames."

"Then we won't touch it then, will we Cerys?" I shook my head.

"Go ahead, Doctor. Impress me." Van Statten smiled, obviously not expecting the Doctor to be able to do anything. Goddard glanced at me, tilting her head smugly.

The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door. It closed almost instantly, locking us in the dark room. We looked around, seeing a small table with drills and other torture devices. The Doctor looked at me quickly but turned to a control board when I made no move to return his glance. Then we saw a single blue light in the back of the room. "Look, I'm sorry about this. Mister Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."

"Doc-Tor?"

"Impossible."

"The Doctor?" His grip on my hand tightened as the light came on to show what was talking to us. It looked like a salt and pepper shaker with an eyestalk, a plunger and whisk for arms. It was chained to the floor, unable to move. I tried to get closer but the Doctor pulled me back, shoving me behind him. "Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Doctor pulled my back to the door and began to pound on it. Terror was written on his face, leaving me shocked and afraid. Whatever that alien was, it had invoked a fear in the Doctor I'd never seen.

"Let us out!"

"Exterminate! You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!" I watched as the whisk moved, fear of what might happened paralyzed me. When nothing did, I turned to the Doctor. Although the fear was there, I also noticed that my head had started to hurt. There was something familiar about the creature, something that I should know but didn't.

"It's not working," the Doctor stated before he started to laugh. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic!" His expression changed from a slight hysteria to anger. "Powerless! Look at you. The great space dustbin. How does it feel?" He moved closer to it, pulling me with him.

The creature backed away as far as it could in the chains. "Keep back!" By this time the Doctor was inches away. His body was still shielding me as he walked around the room, still dragging me along.

"What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill, then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing." I glared at the back of his head. No matter what a Dalek was, it didn't deserve to be told it was nothing. No one wanted to hear that, human or alien. "What the hell are you here for?"

"I am waiting for orders."

"What do you mean?" I hesitantly asked it, moving from behind the Doctor. I left my hand in his, feeling he was mainly holding it for comfort. The eyestalk moved to me, as if whatever that was hidden in the shell wanted to look at me. The Doctor moved again, keeping me from its view.

"I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders."

"Well you're never going to get any. Not ever."

"I demand orders!"

"They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second," the Doctor replied.

"You lie!"

"I watched it happen. I made it happen." I looked at him in disbelief. How could he have destroyed an entire race? I tugged my hand, trying to remove it from his. He held on with a steel grip. I continued until he turned and looked at me, pleading with his eyes. I sighed and stopped, knowing he needed the support. I was angry but Rose was right, I was the only one who could talk him down if I tried.

"You destroyed us?" The Doctor seemed to be affected by the question. His expression became blank but I could still see the anger in his eyes.

He turned from the Dalek, facing me. "I had no choice."

"And what of the Time Lords?"

"Dead." His lips quivered. I wanted to hug him and tell him it was alright, to comfort him but I couldn't. He wouldn't want it. "They burnt with you. The end of the last great Time War. Everyone lost." As the Doctor said this, my headache got worse. I tried to ignore it but it wanted to be felt. I shut my eyes, hoping it would help, that it was the lights causing the pain. Unfortunately I wasn't so lucky.

"And the coward survived."

He smiled, mocking it. "Oh, and I caught your little signal. Help me. Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming 'cause there's no one else left."

"I am alone in the universe."

"Yep."

"So are you. We are the same."

"We're not the same! I'm not-" he stopped, thinking. "No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cause I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve. Exterminate." My eyes snapped open as the Doctor released my hand and pulled down a lever on a nearby board. Suddenly the Dalek was being electrocuted. I stared at the Doctor in fear. This was a side I'd never seen and it scared me more than I was willing to admit. I shifted my gaze to the Dalek as my eyes clouded over. No matter what it had done to the Doctor, this was unnecessary.

"Have pity!" it screamed. It was in pain and the Doctor just continued to torture it.

"Doctor, please stop. You're hurting it."

"It deserves it."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does. You weren't there, Cerys. It destroyed my people."

"And you did the same to its own. When is the bloodshed going to stop?"

"When it's dead." I turned away from him and walked to the door, tears streaming down my face. This was the Doctor in all his anger and I didn't like it. Doctors were supposed to help, not cause pain.

"Have pity!" it screamed again. I covered my ears, unable to bear the sound of its screams. Another sob racked through my body. The screams weren't entirely muted and it affected me more than most things would.

"Why should I? You never did."

"Help me!" Not a minute later, the door slid open and guards grabbed the Doctor as he attempted to turn up the voltage.

Van Statten walked in, going up to the Dalek. "I saved your life. Now talk to me. Goddamn it, talk to me!" The scientist went to where the Doctor once stood and turned off the electricity.

"You've got to destroy it!" he yelled as he was dragged away. Guards came over to me but did not touch me. I wasn't a threat. I just stood there watching Van Statten.

"The last in the universe. And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek. I am Henry van Statten, now recognise me!" The Dalek said nothing. "Make it talk again, Simmons. Whatever it takes." I glared at him as he brushed past me. When he said nothing to me, I followed him out of the room.

Van Statten, Goddard, the Doctor, security, and I had just entered the elevator when the Doctor spoke. "The metal's just battle armour. The real Dalek creature's inside"

"What does it look like?"

"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered. Every single emotion was removed except hate."

"Genetically engineered. By whom?"

"By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world. You'd like him."

"It's been on Earth for over fifty years. Sold at a private auction, moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?" Goddard asked.

"Because I'm here. How did it get to Earth? Does anyone know?"

"The records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands. Burnt in its crater for three days before anybody could get near it and all that time it was screaming. It must have gone insane."

"It must have fallen through time. The only survivor."

"You talked about a war?"

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived too."

"Not by choice."

"This means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth. Doctor, there's you. The only one of your kind in existence." My head turned to Van Statten as he looked at the Doctor.

"He's a living person, not something for you to dissect," I barked. He glanced at me and then nodded to the officers in the elevator with us. At that, a guard grabbed my arms and attempted to put me in handcuffs. As he did so, I managed to punch him, buying me a bit of time. Moving away, I felt a hand grab my shoulder and slam me into the wall. I groaned I hit the wall. As the cuffs were placed on my wrists, I stomped on the person's foot. "You little-" I threw my head back, hitting him in the face. Turning around, I saw it was Van Statten. A small smile crossed my face as I saw him clutching his bleeding nose.

"Leave her alone. I'll go with you." I glanced at him, trying to meet his eyes. He avoided them and looked straight ahead. I blew out a puff of air in annoyance. He had to try and be a hero. I groaned, noticing the four hands on me as we were ushered out of the elevator. We walked a bit and then went into a room. Two guards held me behind a piece of machinery as the Doctor's jacket and shirt was removed and he was chained to a metal bed.

"Now, smile!" Van Statten said as a laser ran down the Doctor's body. I watched him writhe and grimace in pain.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" I yelled. They ignored me.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system. Oh, I am so going to patent this."

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it."

"This technology has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it took was the right mind to use it properly. Oh, the advances I've made from alien junk. You have no idea, Doctor. Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater, and do you know what we found?" He walked towards the Doctor, stopping by his side. "The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory of course. No need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?"

"You're sick!"

"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten? A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do for the survival of its species. That creature in your dungeon is better than you."

"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."

"Listen to me!" The Doctor jerked forward. "That thing downstairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the Cage," Van Staten replied as he hit the Doctor with the laser again. I moved to go to Van Statten but the two men holding me had an iron grip. I struggled as much as I could but they wouldn't let me go.

"But it's woken up. It knows I'm here. It's going to get out. Van Statten, I swear, no one on this base is safe. No one on this planet!" I watched as Van Statten grinned, running the laser again. He was now doing it on purpose, using it as a torture device. Anger rose in me as I realized that. I felt my cheeks flush as I heard the Doctor's screams. As upset as I was with him, this was not what I wanted. I turned to my captors, stomping my foot on the man on my right's foot. He yowled in pain and released me. The other grabbed me, trying to stop my struggling. I turned to face him and kneed him where the sun don't shine. He collapsed, holding himself whimpering in pain. I ran to Van Statten but more guards had come for me, blocking my path to the man. Just as I was going to attack one of the men, a loudspeaker came to life.

"I repeat, this is not a drill!"

"Release me if you want to live." Van Satten turned from me and looked at the Doctor and nodded to the guards who stood by him. They quickly undid his chains and handed him is clothes. "Her too." The two guards that I'd hit unlocked the handcuffs. Finally free, I walked up to Van Statten and punched him in the face. Content with the black and blue that was forming under his eye, I walked to over to the Doctor. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," I replied before I grabbed his hand and allowed him to lead me to the elevator.

The four of us piled into the elevator and after mere seconds, the doors opened and the Doctor pulled me out, running towards Van Statten's office. On the wall TV was the Cage. Rose and the kid she'd gone with were in there.

"You've got to keep it in that cell."

"Doctor, it's all my fault."

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations."

"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat."

We watched in silence as the Dalek opened the door and the guards began to shoot at it. "Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed." I rolled my eyes at Van Statten. After everything the Doctor said, he was trying to protect it.

I stared at the screen, my eyes on my best friend. "Rose," I said. She looked into the screen at me. "Get out of there. You have to get back to the office." She nodded and backed into another room, out of our view. We then watched as the Dalek went up to the wall monitor and smashed it, absorbing electricity and cutting off our visual.

Goddard sat behind the desk, typing away on the computer. "We're losing power. It's draining the base. Oh, my God. It's draining entire power supplies for the whole of Utah."

"It's downloading."

"Downloading what?"

"Sir, the entire West Coast has gone down."

"It's not just energy. The Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything," the Doctor replied.

"The cameras in the vault have gone down."

"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!"

"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately," Goddard ordered.

Seeing as the cameras were down, we waited, me impatiently, for word on Rose. Moments later, the sound of gun fire came through the speakers. "Tell them to stop shooting at it."

"But it's killing them!"

"They're dispensable. That Dalek is unique. I don't want a scratch on its bodywork, do you hear me? Do you hear me?"

"Are you mad? There are people dying down there. Are you that obsessed with this that you'd lead people to their deaths? You disgust me. The only dispensable person is you. Those men and women are so brave, so very brave and you are a coward. If we make it out of here alive, I promise you, I will bring your end," I growled, causing the Doctor to shift his body to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me but I shrugged it off and moved to a corner where I could watch.

As we listened to the audio, the gunshots began to fade until there was no more. I grimaced but said nothing. I just watched as Goddard pulled up the building's schematics. "That's us, right below the surface. That's the cage, and that's the Dalek."

"This museum of yours. Have you got any alien weapons?"

"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them."

"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there."

"Van Satten," I said. He turned to me. "Shut up."

The Doctor smirked at me but then addressed his comment. "That would leave everyone trapped with it. Rose is down there. I won't let this happen. Have you got that?" he said to Van Statten. Without waiting for an answer, he returned his attention to Goddard and the computer screen. "It's got to go through this area." He pointed to an area that I couldn't make out. "What's that?"

"Weapons testing."

"Give guns to the technicians, the lawyers, anyone. Everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it." Goddard stood and quickly left the room as the Doctor took her place.

We were all quiet for a while. I was glad that the idiot had listened to me but it soon disappeared. "I thought you were the great expert, Doctor. If you're so impressive, then why not just reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate. There must be something it needs. Everything needs something."

"What's the nearest town?"

"Salt Lake City."

"Population?"

"One million."

"All dead. If the Dalek gets out, it'll murder every living creature. That's all it needs."

"But why would it do that?"

"Because it honestly believes they should die. Human beings are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate in racial cleansing and you, Van Statten, you've let it loose!" The Doctor got up and hovered over the microphone, talking to the guards. "The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. The bullets are melting before they even hit home, but it's not indestructible." I glanced at the Doctor, curious as to what he was thinking. "If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, the eyepiece. That's the weak spot."

As the Doctor finished, a voice came through. "Thank you, Doctor, but I think I know how to fight one single tin robot. Positions!"

I shook my head at his ignorance before I walked over to the Doctor. "They're going to die, aren't they? They don't know what they're dealing with." He nodded, acknowledging my question. Just then, Goddard returned.

"We've got vision."

"It wants us to see," the Doctor replied. We watched as the bullets fell around the Dalek, having no effect. It rose up, shooting the fire alarm and setting off he sprinklers, covering the floor with water. I grabbed the Doctor's hand, squeezing it as it shot onto the floor and electrocuted everyone on the ground.

"Fall back! Fall back!" the commander yelled before the Dalek shot the metal landing they stood on, electrocuting them. All that was left was silence.

* * *

_Hey there. We are finally at Dalek. So this episode is one that I think somewhat gives both Cerys and Rose a glimpse at the Doctor that they haven't seen. It also add a bit more to the Cerys/Doctor relationship, but that isn't really seen until the next chapter. So far though, Cerys has been a bit snappy. Some of it had to do with what he said in Aliens of London, about Rose being there for him to impress. Kinda harsh. But guys, just wait until the Empty Child. Can I just say, FLUFF. _

_Glad you've been enjoying the story so far. I am having so much fun writing it, especially now that I have an insane twist coming up, but that's not until Utopia. Sorry guys. So with my upload schedule, I am definitely keeping it. I've honestly been neglecting my Wattpad account, mainly because I'm writing the chapters and I still have to watch the episodes for that account. It's already halfway through Ten on that account, seeing as I just recently made this account. But when we get there, you'll love it. _

_I've just finished writing The God Complex and oh my gosh I think you guys are definitely going to love the slight change I made. It includes the twist I mentioned. Oh, if you know what Cerys and the Doctor are, PM me. Leave a review. Honestly, I love hearing what you think. I hope I'm keeping the Doctor true to his character. That's honestly my main worry but yeah, thanks for reading. :}_


	10. The Stranger Before Me

I released the Doctor's hand, feeling angrier as the minutes ticked by. Walking to Van Statten, I brought him to his knees with a swift kick. "This is your fault. My best friend is down there, running from that thing. All those people have died, risking their lives for a selfish man." I turned and returned to the corner. Closing my eyes, I tried to concentrate on my breathing. I wanted to run out of the room and try to find Rose myself but I knew the Doctor wouldn't allow it and although I understood why, I didn't care.

"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. Maybe we should consider abandoning this place."

Goddard rolled her eyes at the man. "Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out." Her tone hinted her disapproval, her anger.

"You said we could seal the vault."

"It was designed to be a bunker in the event of nuclear war. Steal bulkheads."

"There's not enough power, those bulkheads are massive."

"We've got emergency power. We can re-route that to the bulkhead doors."

"We'd have to bypass the security codes. That would take a computer genius."

"Good thing you've got me, then."

"You want to help?"

"I don't want to die, Doctor. Simple as that." I snorted. Of course that would be his reason. "And nobody knows this software better than me."

"Sir," Goddard said as she motioned to the screen. We all looked to see the Dalek was back on the ground.

"I shall speak only to the Doctor." The Doctor stood, up, watching the TV.

"You're going to get rusty."

"I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveler regenerated me."

"What's your next trick?"

"I have been searching for the Daleks."

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet. What did you find?" He walked around the desk, standing in from the TV.

"I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes."

"And?"

"Nothing. Where shall I get my orders?"

"You're just a soldier without commands."

"Then I shall follow the Primary Order, the Dalek instinct to destroy, to conquer."

"What for?" I asked, stepping up to the mic. "What's the point of it?"

"Don't you see it's all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"Then what should I do?"

"All right, then. If you want orders, follow this one. Kill yourself." I stepped away from the Doctor. He had done it again. He became a stranger to me, one who could calmly tell another to kill themselves, to die. I tensely folded my arms, aware that Goddard was staring at my changed demeanor.

"The Daleks must survive!"

"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct. Rid the Universe of your filth. Why don't you just die?" he said angrily as he stormed towards the TV.

"You would make a good Dalek," it said, making the Doctor freeze up. As he stared at the screen, it went dark, erasing the Dalek from our view.

"Seal the vaults."

Van Statten and the Doctor sat across from each other, typing on keyboards. "I can leech power off the ground defenses, feed it to the bulkheads. God, it's been years since I had to work this fast."

"Having fun?" I spat.

"Doctor," Goddard interjected. "She's still down there." I held out my hand and she handed me an earpiece. I quickly gave Goddard the number and within a minute, Rose had answered the phone.

"This isn't the best time."

"I know but where are you?"

"Level forty nine." I quickly told them her location.

"Rose, you have to keep moving. Please, Rosie. The vaults are being sealed at level forty six."

"Can't you stop them from closing?"

"That's the thing. The Doctor's closing them. He and Van Statten are trying to keep the Dalek from reaching us. At the rate it's going, he won't be able to wait." I paused, taking in a shaky breath. "Rosie, pleas run. You've got to run faster than that time we were chased my Mrs. Digiji's dogs."

"Okay." I sat on the floor, listening to her pant. I kept hoping she would make it, I needed her to make it.

"Done it. We've got power in the bulkhead."

"The Dalek's right behind them"

"Cerys, we're nearly there. Give us too seconds."

"Doctor, I can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing. Doctor, you've got to close the bulkheads."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare!" I screamed as I jumped to my feet, angrily whipping around to face him. It was too late, he had already hit enter. I glared at the Doctor before turning away.

"The vault is sealed."

"Rose? Rosie, please tell me you made it."

She was breathing heavily, trying to regain her breath. "Sorry, I was a bit slow." I took in a sharp breath before removing the earpiece, tossing it onto the floor, and running out of the office. I heard the Doctor yelling at Van Statten in the office. I didn't care. I needed to get to Rose.

As I ran towards the bulkhead, I ran into the guy that was with her. I immediately grabbed him and threw him onto the floor. "You left her! You left my sister behind! You're a coward. You just had to save yourself." I felt someone grab my hands, prying me off of him. I whirled around, punching the person, the Doctor. "And you. You closed the bulkhead! You gave up on her. You listened to that moron."

"Cerys…"

"Don't," I snapped as I allowed him to lead me back to the office. He sat me in his chair and knelt so that we were eyelevel. I turned away, not wanting to look at him. I had trusted him to protect her and he just let her die.

"Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler dies." My head snapped to the TV, staring at the screen in disbelief.

"You're alive! Rosie, you're alive!"

She smiled. "Can't get rid of me."

"I thought I wouldn't see you again. I thought you were gone…" I trailed off.

"Open the bulkhead!"

"Don't do it!" Rose exclaimed.

"What use are emotions if you will not save the sister of the woman you love?"

"I killed her once. I can't do it again," the Doctor said, ignoring the Dalek's comment. Goddard looked down. Pressing the enter key to open the door, the bulkhead opened and the two walked through.

Van Statten stood from his seat, walking over to the Doctor. "What do we do now, you bleeding heart. What the hell do we do?"

"Shut the hell up, Van Statten. I am so sick of hearing your voice. That is my best friend, my sister and she is not going to die because you want to live."

"We could kill it when it gets here," the boy suggested.

"All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault."

"Only the catalogued ones." We all looked at the guy before the Doctor and I followed him out of the office.

"What's your name?" I asked as we walked.

"Adam."

"Oh, okay." I slowed down, walking behind them until we got to the room.

The Doctor rummaged around, picking things up and tossing it. "Broken. Broken. Hairdryer."

"Mister Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff, and when he does he wipes their memory. I kept this stuff in case I needed to fight my way out one day."

"What, you in a fight? I'd like to see that."

"I could do."

"What're you going to do, throw your A-Levels at 'em?" He rummaged around some more before he finally found something to his liking, an extremely big gun. "Oh, yes. Lock and load." I stared at him. This was no longer the Doctor. He was a different man, a stranger.

We all ran back to the office, but they weren't there. I looked at the Doctor, frantic before he led us to Level 1. The second I saw Rose, I ran to her, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. We hugged each other for a moment longer before letting go. I turned my attention to the Dalek. There was a hole in the ceiling and the metal had opened up revealing an alien with one eye and tentacles. It held one of them out, feeling the sunlight on it.

"Get away from it." We didn't move. We just stared at him in disbelief. "Rose, Cerys, get out of the way now!" He ordered, aiming the gun at us.

"No. We won't let you do this."

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

I walked up to him, placing my hand on the gun. "Yet you're pointing the gun at her, my sister."

He tried not to look at me but he did, our eyes meeting for the first time in a while. "I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

"That may be so, but look at it. Does it look like it's going to kill anyone else?" He left my gaze for a moment, staring at the Dalek in shock.

"What's it doing?" He was confused as to what it was doing as it reached out.

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants," Rose answered.

"But it can't..."

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?"

He looked away from them, meeting my eyes once more, begging for me to understand. He let the gun fall. "I couldn't- I wasn't- Oh, Cerys. They're all dead."

"Why do we survive?" the Dalek asked the Doctor.

"I don't know."

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"Into what?"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?" Rose questioned.

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. Rose, give me orders. Order me to die."

"I can't do that."

"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!" it begged her.

Rose glanced at me before looking back at the Dalek. "Do it."

"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?"

"Yeah."

"So am I. Exterminate."

We watched at it closed its eye and the armor began to close up. Rose ran over to us, almost tripping on a piece of concrete might I add, and grabbed my hand as it rose into the air. The balls on its body began to spread out, forming a force field. Then it imploded leaving no trace of its presence. Rose, the Doctor, and I quickly made our way back to the Tardis. When we got there, I smiled, welcoming the familiar box. "A little piece of home. Better than nothing." He patted the Tardis.

"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" Rose asked him.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?" He said, his face void of emotion.

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too."

"I'd know. In here." He tapped his head. "Feels like there's no one."

"Well then, good thing we're not going anywhere."

The Doctor looked at her sadly. "Yeah." I placed a hand on his arm but he didn't acknowledge me. I let go, feeling slightly rejected. Yeah, we had our problems and arguments but we still responded to each other when emotions ran high. I looked away, quickly covering up the hurt so that Rose wouldn't see.

We stood there in silence before we heard footsteps approach us. "We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed," Adam told us, carrying a duffle bag.

"About time."

"I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at," the Doctor checked his watch. "Fifteen hundred hours."

"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars."

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then."

"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help."

"He left you down there."

"So did you."

"Plus, he's a bit pretty."

Rose smirked. "I hadn't noticed." She looked at him pleadingly before the smile returned to her face as she looked at me. "Scared someone might pay him more attention than you?" she joked.

"No."

"Good."

"What are you talking about? We've got to leave," Adam exclaimed.

"On your own head," the Doctor told her as he unlocked the Tardis, walking in. I followed, heading straight to my room. Happy for the familiarity, I grinned and let my hair down, feeling more relaxed than I had in a while.

I laid on the floor, gazing at the moving stars on the ceiling. I was content and calm, two things that had been difficult for me to reach. At the moment, everything seemed to fade away. I didn't let my thoughts get to me, no matter how much they nagged. I wanted peace and I was getting it.

Twenty minutes had passed when there was a knock on my door. I didn't answer, hoping that whoever it was would go away. To my happiness, I heard footsteps faded away from my room. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I closed my eyes. Not two minutes later, the door slammed open. "What the hell, Rose?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"The Doctor tends to knock," I snapped.

"Oh," she said, ignoring my tone and coming to stand over me. "Well, speaking of the Doctor, he wanted to talk to you."

"I know. He came by a while ago."

"Did you talk?"

"Nope."

"Cerys, you should talk to him."

"What for?"

"Because you both need it. As weird as it is, you make him better. You were able to talk him out of killing the Dalek."

"No, that was you."

"He listened to _you_, Cerys. The Doctor opened the bulkhead because you were there. He dropped the gun because _you_ were there. He'd listen _you_ long before he did me."

"He would have done it either way."

"Why are you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Countering everything I'm saying? The Doctor listens to you. He cares about you and your opinion."

"That man today, that wasn't the Doctor. That was a stranger. You caught a glimpse of it, Rose but I saw it all. He was going to murder the Dalek. He admitted to killing the entire race. He said things to it that had me truly question him. I hate what he was, what he became."

"But that was supposed to be his enemy. Imagine it being your uncle."

"I wouldn't tell him to kill himself, to die! I didn't try to kill him." Tears had started to crest.

"Just talk to him."

"No. I can't and I won't."

Rose sighed, knowing she wouldn't get me to talk to him. "You know, you two are perfect for each other. Neither of you want to talk about your problems. But you know what, sooner or later you're going to. Then what? Yeah, you might not have liked that side of him but you're no picnic when you're upset either."

"He wasn't just upset. It was like he went mad. Crazy with anger and grief."

"His people are gone and the Dalek was the cause of it. Can you blame him?"

"Why are you sticking up for him?"

"I'm not. He's moping around and muttering to himself. I just, I don't know, felt bad."

"Well I am fine. I was completely at ease before you came in here. I would like to return to that state."

"No you weren't. You were thinking. I don't know what about but if you were at ease, like you said, I guess I'll leave you to it." She started to leave but turned back to me. "You're going to have to talk to him. Whatever's going on between you two should be sorted out." I shrugged and closed my eyes, listening to the door close.

When Rose had been gone for ten minutes, I quietly asked the Tardis not to let anyone in the room. A low hum was all I received. I smiled, knowing that I would be left alone for as long as I desired. Standing, I stripped and went to bathe. While I was in there, I thought about what had happened. Although our second adventure to 1869 had affected me, this one had almost destroyed me. Everything the Doctor said reminded me of my time in America; those same words being said to me in some aspect. He didn't know that but it still hurt. It still made me feel like I was a little girl being told I was worthless and that no one wanted me around. The tears I shed those three years could have filled a pond or river. Getting out of the tub, I drained the water and quickly dressed. After drying my hair, I crawled into bed and cried myself to sleep. Soon the nightmares overcame me.

* * *

_Hey there. So I just wanted to say thanks for sticking around. I am so glad you are enjoying the story so far. If I'm being honest, this is my first go at fan fiction and although it's fun, it is definitely not easy. I'm trying to keep the Doctor himself and not writing him in a way he isn't. I think that's one of my biggest fears with fan fiction. _

_Cerys has to be one of my favorite characters at the moment. I love strong female characters and that's how I'm trying to make her, while keeping that bit of vulnerability. I honestly can't wait until I start posting Martha's season. It will be fluff galore (Human Nature and Family of Blood) and a lot of tension. But it'll be fun. Definitely want to stick around for that. _

_Oh, and I'm thinking of doing a Sherlock fanfic. I have some ideas written down but I'm still deciding whether to do it or not. I still haven't watched the Fall ( I hate endings) or Season 3... yet. I also needed to figure out how I would break up the chapters. Currently, I write out the entire episode and watch it afterwards, making corrections and adding in details, and then think about how to break it up but that takes so much time and effort, especially when I **don't** watch the episode and just keep on writing, landing me in a heep of trouble with uploading. On my Wattpad account, I have to watch the episodes before I post which is extremely annoying but it must be done. _

_FYI as they said in the old days (see what I did there? If anyone can guess where that line's from let me know. :})I will be skipping The Long Game and Father's Day. There's a reason, mostly having to do with this chapter/episode and Cerys' fragile state of mind. There will be episodes I skip in the future but I'll let you know before I post. __Anyways, thanks for reading. I can't wait to read your reviews. They honestly make my day._


	11. The Dreams that Make the Past

_"You're worthless, an abomination. You'll be the end of us. It's your father's people who attack us."_

_"She must be punished for her father's crimes."_

_"Forced regeneration?"_

_"Death!"_

_"Why would you kill me for something I didn't do? You are supposed to be an advanced race!"_

_"Quiet you foul creature," one's thunderous voice said__ as he stood and stabbed me. "Take her away. Lock her up. Leave her until the end of days." I was dragged away, bleeding out and slowly dying. Along the way, I locked eyes with the only person who showed any sympathy. Then I faded into darkness._

I jolted awake, feeling as if my life were in danger. Jumping out of the bed, I searched for a bag to stuff some clothes into. In ten minutes, I was dressed and packed. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, there was a soft hum that I immediately recognized, the Tardis. Within seconds, I realized where I was and dropped the bag and fell to the floor sniffling. Whoever the girl in my dream was, I felt bad for her. The people wanted to punish her for something beyond her control, something she had no part in. My body shook with each new sob. It wasn't right, nor was it fair. But the one man that had looked at her, that had felt sorry for her, his eyes seemed so familiar.

After a few minutes had passed, I felt more exhausted than ever. I crawled into my bed, not bothering to change and reached into my pillowcase. I pulled out my bottle of sleeping pills. Downing four, I relaxed my breathing until I felt the effects. I was hoping it would give me a dreamless slumber but I was never that lucky.

_Running, that's all I ever did. I ran from my family and now I'm running from my best friend, my love. If he knew what I was, he'd toss me aside, just like everyone else. I was a freak, an abomination. The Council was right. I didn't deserve to live. He had helped me escape. He had given me hope, the nice man. Those kind brown eyes would forever be ingrained in my mind. I shook my head, focusing solely on running. If I could get far enough, I should be somewhat safe. The guards wouldn't come out this far for me, no matter how much Rassilon thought he needed me. I refused to be a weapon. I refused to be used again. My parents were gone, sent away on a secret mission that would lead them to their deaths. The fob watch charm on my bracelet smacked against my bare flesh, bringing it to my attention. They had given it to me before they left. I wasn't supposed to take it off, it was to protect me. Tears began to fall as I thought of my parents but I quickly wiped them away. I had to do this, I had to get away. I continued to run until I found a shack. Entering it, I sat on the floor, saying my last goodbyes. Reaching for the bracelet, I opened the charm and let my essence enter it. With my last remaining strength, I pressed a button on my vortex manipulator and disappeared, leaving all memories of home and Him behind. This was going to kill him. After all we'd been through, **I** was leaving him... alone. I could never forgive myself for that, but I could only hope that if we met again, he would find it in his heart to forgive my betrayal._

I sat up in the bed, looking around. Although I knew I was safe, the feeling remained. I sighed, getting out of bed and walked around the room. I hadn't gotten much sleep and I was a bit irritated that the pills barely worked but there was nothing I could do about it. As I strode to the closet, my stomach growled. I groaned, not wanting to leave the room. As much as I wanted to remain in the room, I knew that I needed to eat something. Mustering up the little courage I had, I quietly snuck out of the room and made my way to the kitchen.

Walking down the corridors, I noticed how quiet the Tardis was. Curious, I went to check the console room. Sure enough, the Doctor and Rose weren't there. With a smile on my face, I turned and went to the kitchen. Finally there, I made myself a small feast of things that would survive without a fridge. When I finished cooking, I brought it all to my room. I then returned to the kitchen to clean up the mess I had made. I didn't want them to know I had left my room, especially Rose. She would probably come knocking on the door demanding for me to open the door.

Once I had eaten, I went to shower. Getting out, I heard a knock on my door. I sighed but didn't answer. Whoever it was knew I wasn't going to answer. I hadn't opened that door to anyone in two days, spending the first sleeping. Ignoring the person didn't deter them from knocking. From the ferocity of the knocks, I knew it was Rose. Then again, the Doctor hadn't come by since he tried to talk to me. I was glad when it stopped. "Cerys. Please open the door. I can't do this. I need my best friend." There was a pause as if she were anticipating an answer. She continued when I said nothing. "I know you're upset with us but we missed you on our adventure. The Doctor didn't say it but he wasn't into it as much as he would have if you were there. He wasn't even all that nice. Not like he normally is, he was worse. I don't know. I just wish you'd come out of there. It's scaring me. The Doctor said the Tardis would tell us if something happened to you but I'd prefer to have you around. Well, I'm off to bed. You can always come over. We could have a bit of gossip and all." She was silent for a moment. "Please don't let your thoughts get the better of you. You're stronger than that Cer." I stared at the door wanting to fling it open and hug her but my legs wouldn't move. Turning away from the door, I quickly put on shorts and a sweater before I climbed back into bed.

_Crying. That's all I ever did. I cried for my parents, for my best friend, for the life I never wanted and tried to end, even for the man with the brown eyes. I didn't let anyone know that I cried. It was better that way. I didn't want pity. I wanted to be strong but I was the farthest from it. The first time was when I was twelve. I had snuck into my uncle's cabinet and stole a bottle of his whiskey and Valium. It almost worked but my uncle found me lying on the floor and had me committed. The second time was at the hospital. I'd found an area no one really went and tried to hang myself. Unfortunately, someone walked by and saw me. The third time was when I was thirteen. My uncle had moved, taking me with him. In the new place, no one knew my history. Instead of doing something that would make me go quickly, I starved myself to the brink of death. The teachers were aware of it and called the local hospital where I was put in a program to recover. After that, I returned to my uncle's home and packed a bag. I stole all the money he had and ran away, hitching rides to the nearest airport where I bought a ticket and returned to London. The thoughts didn't stop. At sixteen I tried again. Depression had its hold on me and I wanted it to end. I had slit my wrists, adding more scars to the plethora that littered my skin. I thought I was home alone but Rose had been asleep. She found me. Her expression haunted me more than anything else. I barely tried again. I couldn't bear to put Jackie and Rose through that. I was just reckless, putting myself in harm's way and if anything happened, it would be an accident. One did happen, it almost killed me. A friend was driving and wrapped the car around a pole. I wanted them to give up on me but Jackie and Rose wouldn't let them. I've always taken their love for granted and I've always felt guilty about that._

My eyes fluttered open as I thought about my dream. It was more like looking into my past. My cheeks were warm and wet; I had been crying again. I rolled over and pulled myself out of bed. I don't know how long I'd slept but I was slightly refreshed. Grinning, I stretched and padded over to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, I examined my face. My curly brown hair was disheveled from sleep and my skin wasn't as pale as usual. My hazel eyes shone a bit brighter as well. It seemed as if that dream was what I needed to come back. Sighing, I decided to do something with my hair. Opening the cupboard, I found a flat iron. After plugging it in and waiting for it to heat up, I began the mundane and time consuming task of straightening my curly locks.

Hours had passed before I had finished my hair. When I had straightened the last piece, I added anti-frizz to it and checked how it looked. My hair was bone straight, reaching the small of my back. I had deeply parted it and had used most of the front as a side fringe. Happy with my work, I turned off the flat iron and unplugged it, setting it aside to cool as I started to clean up. When everything was fixed up, I put my hair up and wrapped a silk scarf around it to keep it from getting messed up as I slept. Shutting off the bathroom light, I wandered to the bed and collapsed onto it.

As I laid there, I thought about everything that had happened since boarding the Tardis and everything before. I was a mess, there was no denying that. I was grateful for what I'd experienced though. They made me who I was. Yet I couldn't help but think of who I had become. If things were different, if my parents were still alive, would I be different? Would I have met Rose and Jackie and the Doctor? The Doctor, the only person besides Rose I had around to talk to. Although he had scared me and made me feel as I did when I was younger, although he hadn't known, he was an overall good person. He understood me to some degree, more than Rose did. Maybe I was just being a spoiled brat for not talking to him. I wanted to talk to him but that small argument in the car still bothered me. Was I only here because he wanted Rose around? Was I really the third wheel? Did he feel so sorry for me that he took me along? I let out an irritated groan. It wouldn't be anything new to me if that were the case. Rose was beautiful, outgoing, and capable. She was every guy's dream girl while I was just the rebellious chick no one wanted to bother. While she had guys trailing after her, I was often the butt of guys' jokes. I knew I was nothing special but I wanted that kind of attention every so often. But good things rarely happened to me. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I thought about it all. Maybe I should just ask him to take me home. Then he could have Rose to himself; the two of them could travel together and not have to worry about me. Yet the more I entertained the idea, the more I wanted to stay. Rose had said she needed me, that she missed me. If me holing myself up in my room did that to her, then what would me leaving do? The Doctor seemed to be put off by my absence as well. I sighed, feeling guilty. I was adding more stress. Maybe I should just leave. I continued to think for what felt like hours before I finally fell asleep.

_"No one wants her. I've condemned our daughter, Marhi. Your people will come after her and try to use her as a weapon."_

_"Kalistar, it is not your fault. They allowed us to marry. The Council used us."_

_"What can I do? If I retaliate I could lose you both and if I don't we lose our precious child."_

_"We'll figure something out. They can't use her until her two hundredth year."_

_"I am afraid they will not wait. The war looms over us like the plague. There is only a matter of time before we are invaded."_

_"And they will fight."_

_"What of us? Even if we don't live, she must. If the enemy learns of her they will either kill her or use her against us."_

_"We will think of something. I know it." The two embraced each other, neither really knowing what their daughter's future held._

I got out of bed and got dressed. It had been four days since I'd had any human (or alien) contact and although I had slightly enjoyed my solitude, my mind was a dangerous place and all the thinking was starting to get to me. The blades that I had hidden were calling me, as were the thoughts that often began the usual spiral. I didn't want to end up that way again, I didn't want to hurt Rose and Jackie again. The one thing that terrified me the most was that I knew it would probably be the worse than ever. I didn't want to spiral into that pattern. I knew it would happen soon but I didn't want it to be now, I wanted to be happy and not have to worry about that at the moment. I just wanted to be normal for a while.

After a shower, I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Once I'd dried myself off, I dressed in my usual outfit and removed the scarf and let my hair fall. It was a bit wavy but it hadn't curled or frizzed up to my content. I could deal with the wave seeing as it added a bit more to the style I'd put it in; finger combing it all to one side. Once I was happy with my appearance, I went to the door. Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door and began the trek to the console room to find Rose and the Doctor.

* * *

_Hey all. So this was obviously an original chapter (please let me know if you liked it). So, I wanted to give more insight into Cerys and about those dreams she'd had. For the most part, the dreams give hints to future chapters. This was extremely Doctor light since I wanted it to be solely on Cerys and all. But I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. I love seeing reviews and on top of that, I may or may not add a little teaser at the end of one of these chapters if I get at least 5 reviews. _

_But yeah, sorry about the delay as well. I haven't been home on the regular, with school, work, and a small social life, all being the reason I am two days late with uploading. I will be doing so on time for the rest of the week although next week I'm going away so I might not be able to update, but I'll let you know what my plan is for that on the next upload day. _


	12. The Empty Child

I found the two standing around the console quietly talking to each other. As I watched them, I began to wonder what I had missed. I hadn't ventured into the room completely; it was more of me leaning against the doorframe. There was a slight hesitation to enter and an overwhelming urge to run back to my room. Before I could succumb to that itch, Rose turned and saw me. A smile quickly came to her face and she began to walk towards me. I let her engulf me in a hug. "I'm so glad you came out of that room. I've missed you." I nodded as she released me. I looked towards the Doctor hoping he'd come over and say something but he just stood there, looking at the controls. I had hoped he'd say something but I didn't really expect much.

"So," I started, turning to Rose. "What have I missed?"

"Well, the Doctor, Adam, and I went to the year two hundred thousand. It was a space station, broadcasting news all over the galaxy. The people had chips in their heads, literally making them walking computers. There was this whole undercover thing going on and everything. People were getting promotions and never coming back but the Doctor and I set it right with the help of a girl named Cathica. She was brilliant. Ended up being this big alien, the Jagrafess and the Editor. We were detained for a bit but Cathica rerouted the heat up to Floor 500 and killed the creature."

"Sounds fun. Wait, what about Adam?"

"He ended up getting a chip and trying to use information to make himself rich or something. We dropped him off home. Seems like my judgment was a bit off."

"Chip and all?"

"The Doctor destroyed the answering machine and all the information he took. As for the chip, he still has it. I wonder what his mum thinks of it," she giggled. I smiled and urged her on. "We went to see my dad too."

"How'd that go?"

"I watched mum and him get married. Dad got her name wrong. Then we went to the day he died. I mussed up and saved him. The Doctor was so angry. We had an argument and he took away the Tardis key. Turns out dad was playing around. She thought I was one of his girls. Anyways, these things appeared because I saved him. Then I messed up again, touched the baby, touched myself, and let one of those monsters in. The Doctor sacrificed himself to save us. Then the Tardis disappeared. They were gone, the both of them. Then my dad ran out, he let himself get hit by the car. It fixed everything and the Doctor came back. My dad, he wasn't alone this time, I was with him as he died."

"He wasn't that upset then."

"What do you mean?"

"You said you went at it with the Doctor and he took away the key. If he wanted to, he could have brought you home but he didn't. He wasn't that upset at you."

"Maybe. But he was still horrible to deal with. Kept on insulting humans. He kept pretending it didn't bother him but he kept walking past our rooms and would spend most down time in the library. He missed you."

"I doubt it. He probably-" I was cut off by the flashing red light and the sudden jostling. Rose and I glanced at each other before she ran over to the Doctor, clutching the console as it shook. I hung back, using a Y beam for support.

"What's the emergency?"

"It's mauve."

"Mauve?"

"The universally recognized color for danger," he answered, looking at the monitor and pressed buttons.

"What happened to red?"

Rose ran moved closer to him, looking at the monitor as he spoke. "That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." The Doctor fiddled with the console as I clutched the wall, watching the two of them. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe, is it?"

"Totally," the Doctor replied before pulling a lever that caused sparks to fly and a loud bang. "Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there. No, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us."

"What exactly is this thing?"

"No idea."

"Then why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous," he stopped looking at her, "and about thirty seconds from the center of London."

When the Tardis landed, I walked out behind Rose and the Doctor. We were in a back alley between two buildings. I looked around, taking in the area. Cloth lines with flapping garments were hung between the two brick stone apartments. There was a half wall between them, barely cutting off sight to the other side and garbage was strewn on the floor. "Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?" the Doctor asked.

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?"

"Of all the species in all the Universe and it has to come out of a cow."

"Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway." The Doctor and Rose started to walk away, leaving me behind. Rose must have noticed because she reached her hand back and grasped mine before she got too far. "And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month? We were right behind it."

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?"

"Yeah. How much is a little?"

"A bit."

"Is that exactly a bit?"

"Ish."

"What's the plan, then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?"

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask," he replied, showing her the psychic paper.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids."

"It's psychic paper. It tells you-"

"Whatever you want it to tell me, I remember," Rose finished with a smile. We stopped in front of a door that said 'Deliveries Only'.

"Sorry."

"Not very Spock, is it, just asking."

The Doctor put his ears to the black door. "Door, music, people. What do you think?"

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once. Would it kill you?" As the Doctor tried to open the door, he turned to Rose, glancing up at her shirt. "Are you sure about t-shirt?"

Rose looked down at it, pushing her hair aside a bit. "Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin."

As we stood there waiting for the Doctor to open the door, Rose and I heard a voice. "Mummy? Mummy?"

"Come on if you're coming. It won't take a minute." Without waiting for a reply, he walked inside.

"Mummy?" We glanced up, shocked to see a little boy in a gasmask on the roof of a building. We looked at each other trying to figure out what to do.

"Doctor?" Rose called. "Doctor? There's a kid up there!"

"Are you alright up there?"

"Mummy?"

"Cerys, you go with the Doctor. I'll get the kid." I groaned and rolled my eyes before walking into the building. As I entered, I looked around, quickly taking in the place. We had gone in from the storage entrance seeing as boxes littered along the wall. I quickly made my way to where towards the music, stopping as I reached the beaded curtain seeing the Doctor leaning against the wall. Sighing, I stood on the other side of him. As my eyes flicked to the walls, I noticed the posters, most talking about bombs and Hitler. I sighed, knowing that whatever the Doctor was going to ask would get us nowhere.

Once the singer finished, I watched as the Doctor took her place in front of the mic. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Could I have everybody's attention just for a mo? Be very quick. Hello! Might seem like a stupid question, but has anything fallen from the sky recently?" The club goers we silent for a moment before the place erupted in laughter. "Sorry, have I said something funny? It's just, there's this thing that I need to find. Would've fallen from the sky a couple of days ago." Suddenly a siren went off and everyone stood and began to leave. The Doctor remained on the stage, trying to speak over the noise. "Would've landed quite near here. With a very loud-" I glanced at him and then the poster that said 'Hitler will send no warning!'

"Quickly as you can, down to the shelter."

I watched the Doctor looked around, putting two and two together. "Bang." He then jumped down and ran out of the door, not giving me the slightest glance. I groaned, a bit hurt but feeling as if I deserved it. Trying not to think about it, I followed him outside.

"Rose?" he called out before he went over and picked up a black kitten with a white muzzle and mittens that had meowed. I looked up on the roof hoping to see her to no avail. "You know, one day, just one day, maybe, I'm going to meet someone who gets the whole don't wander off thing. Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me." He was interrupted by the Tardis phone ringing. Setting down the cat, he went over to the Tardis. I looked at it curiously and in awe.

"Is it supposed to do that?"

He ignored me and opened the small door. "How can you be ringing? What's that about, ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?" He pulled out his sonic screwdriver as a girl walked up to us.

"Don't answer it. It's not for you."

I glanced at her but said nothing, letting the Doctor do all the talking. He walked towards her. "And how do you know that?"

"'Cos I do. And I'm telling you, don't answer it."

The Doctor looked at her. "Well, if you know so much, tell me this. How can it be ringing?" He turned away, walking back to the phone. As he did that, I watched her slink off. "It's not even a real phone. It's not connected, it's not-" he stopped when turned and saw that she was gone. Shrugging, he hesitantly answered the phone. "Hello? Hello? This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?"

"Mummy?" I shivered at the voice. "Mummy?"

"Who is this? Who's speaking."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Who is this?"

"Mummy?"

"How did you ring here? This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to anything."

"Mummy?"

There was a dial tone and then he hung up, knocking on the Tardis door. "Rose isn't in there. She went looking for the little boy you were talking to," I told him.

"Rose? Rose, are you in there?" I rolled my eyes and went to lean on the wall. His constant ignoring me was beginning to irritate me. As I stood there, there was a noise, the sound of garbage bins clacking. Again he took off without giving me any warnings. Pushing myself off the wall, I ran after him.

We ran to the end of the alley until we reached the corner, where the Doctor abruptly stopped. I crashed into him, his sudden stop catching me off guard. I fell to the ground, wincing in pain. After a moment, I stood and brushed myself off. The Doctor was looking around at everything but me. I looked down, not sure what to say or do. I was confused, angry, and scared for Rose. Glancing up, I found the Doctor eyeing me. I quickly averted my gaze to one of the houses. A few seconds later, I found his arms wrapped around me. I quickly placed mine around his waist, brandishing a small when he squeezed me. He released me after a few minutes, grasping my chin so that I was looking at him. "Are you alright?" I nodded. "Not just about the fall. I meant in general."

"Yes." I turned my head, looking away. "No."

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"You know what. I'm not going to say it. Not here, not now."

He turned my head so that we were looking at each other again. I tried not to look into his eyes but he made it difficult. "What I said to the Dalek, I didn't know…"

"I know."

"You should have told me."

"Honestly Doctor," I sighed, "you should have noticed how your words affected me but you didn't. You let your pain and rage take over and blind you. I'm not saying that what it did was right but in the end, there was pain on both sides and you ended up dishing out more, whether it was intentional or not. I'm not happy with you but I'm not going to hold it against you. Besides, it doesn't matter, it was in the past, er, the future." He smiled at me but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He dropped his hands from my face and looked around. When he had found what he was looking for, he grasped my hand and pulled me along with him towards a house. The backyard was covered by the brick fence but the Doctor climbed on top of the bins that were there and peered over. I could hear a woman and man arguing, the man more irate than the woman about the air raid. When we could no longer hear them, the Doctor climbed down. "The girl from earlier."

"What about her?"

"She's in that house."

"Meaning?"

"We're joining her for supper," he said with a smile after there was a whistle and the pitter patter of running feet. I smiled at him as we both took off to the house.

Walking in, we heard the people talking. Glancing at each other, we silently walked into the dining room. Thinking it was a family, we were a bit surprised to see the girl from earlier and a table full of kids. They were so busy looking at the food and placing some on their plates that they didn't notice we had also taken seats. The food was passed around until it got to the Doctor. I watched as he took two slices of turkey and then placed another on my plate. "Thanks miss," he said, causing panic amongst the children. They all stared at us in shock, some standing ready to run.

"It's alright. Everybody stay where you are!"

"Good here, innit? Who's got the salt?" I rolled my eyes but passed him the salt shaker. "Thank you."

"Back to your seats. He shouldn't be here either." The children warily sat down and after a while, began to eat, their stomachs overpowering their urge to run.

"So, you lot, what's the story?"

"What do you mean?" a boy asked.

"You're homeless, right? Living rough?"

"Why do you want to know that? Are you a copper?"

"Of course I'm not a copper. What's a copper going to do with you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving?" The children laughed. "I make it 1941-"

"You guys shouldn't be here. Why weren't you evacuated to the country?" I asked, interrupting the Doctor.

"I was evacuated. Sent me to a farm."

"So why'd you come back?"

"There was a man there."

"Yeah, same with Ernie. Two homes ago."

"Shut up. It's better on the streets anyway. It's better food," Ernie said.

"I bet," I replied with a smile.

"Yeah. Nancy always gets the best food for us."

I looked at the girl, happy to finally have a name. "So, that's what you do, is it, Nancy?"

"What is?"

"As soon as the sirens go, you find a big fat family meal still warm on the table with everyone down in the air raid shelter and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London Town. Puddings for all, as long as the bombs don't get you."

"Something wrong with that?" she asked defensively.

"Wrong with it? It's brilliant. I'm not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical."

"Why'd you follow me? What do you want?"

"I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favor. I told you not to answer it, that's all I'm telling you."

"Great, thanks. And I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving. Anybody seen a girl like that?" I watched as Nancy took his plate after he finished up the sentence. "What have I done?"

I nudged him, getting his attention. "There are children at the table and you're going on about craving a blonde."

"You took two slices. No blondes, no flags. You should be ashamed of yourself talking about another woman with your lady by your side," she chastised, giving me a sympathetic smile. "Anything else before you leave?"

"Yeah, there is actually. Thanks for asking. Something I've been looking for. Would've fallen from the sky about a month ago, but not a bomb. Not the usual kind, anyway. Wouldn't have exploded. Probably would have just buried itself in the ground somewhere, and it would have looked something like this," he asked as he began to draw on a napkin. As he showed them, I watched Nancy as a glimmer of recognition passed through her eyes. I looked away when there was a knock on the door and the children jumped in fear.

"Mummy? Are you in there, mummy?" I looked out the window seeing the boy from the roof. A shiver made its way down my spine. "Mummy?"

"Who was the last one in?"

"Him," Ernie answered pointing to another boy.

"No, he came in round the back. Who came in the front?"

"Me," another boy answered.

"Did you close the door?"

"Er…"

"Did you close the door?"

"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" I watched as Nancy ran out into the hallway and bolted the front door. I stood walked to her, the Doctor following.

"That's not really nice, Nancy."

"It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know."

"I suppose you'd know."

"I do actually, yes." I looked up at the Doctor and then took hold of his hand. He glanced down at me and smiled.

"It's not exactly a child," she replied.

"Mummy?"

"Right," Nancy said, turning around and reentering the dining room, me following closely. "Everybody out. Across the back garden and under the fence. Now! Go! Move!" All the kids grabbed their coats and retreated from the house. One little girl was left, sitting in the chair terrified. "Come on, baby, we've got to go, all right? It's just like a game. Just like chasing. Take your coat, go on. Go!" The girl finally got herself up and together before following the other kids. When they were gone, I went back to the Doctor.

"Mummy? Mummy? Please let me in, mummy. Please let me in, mummy." I leant against the wall, trying not to let his cries bother me. I knew how the kid felt, unwanted and dejected. A small hand came through the letter box.

"Are you alright?"

"Please let me in."

I glared at Nancy as she threw glass at the door, causing the hand to disappear. "What was that for?"

"You mustn't let him touch you!"

"What happens if he touches me?"

"He'll make you like him."

"And what's that?" I questioned.

"I've got to go."

"Nancy," the Doctor started. "What's he like?"

"He's empty." Nancy and I jumped as the telephone rang. "It's him. He can make phones ring. He can. Just like with that police box you saw." The Doctor looked at us and went to answer the phone.

"Are you my mummy?" Nancy snatched the phone and placed it back on the hook. Then the radio in the dining room came on. "Mummy? Please let me in, mummy." This continued as a clockwork monkey started to go off. "Mummy, mummy, mummy." Nancy began to back away as if trying to get away from it.

"You stay if you want to," she said before she ran out the back door. Once she'd left, the little boy pushed his hand through the letterbox again. This time I noticed a scar on the back of his hand in the shape of an 'X'.

"Mummy? Please let me in, mummy. Please let me in."

"You're mummy isn't here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"No mummies here. Nobody here but us chickens. Well, two chickens."

"I'm scared."

I inched towards the door only to be stopped by the Doctor. When I looked up at him, he shook his head. "Why are those children frightened of you?"

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs."

"Okay. I'm opening the door now." The little boy slowly removed his hand. The Doctor unbolted the door and opened it. To our surprise, the boy was gone, with no sign of him ever being there or running down the street. The Doctor and I glanced at each other questioningly, wondering how something like that could happen.

"How?"

"No idea."

"It seems like Nancy has all the answers. The only thing is, why is she so reluctant to say anything?"

"Don't know. Maybe we should find out."

"We don't know where she went," I stated.

"Sure we do. Come along now," he said as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the house.

After a bit of running, we were at a shack in some railway sidings. We watched as Nancy entered it and went to stand by the door, waiting for her to exit. When she did, she jumped not expecting to see us." How'd you follow me here?"

"I'm good at following, me. Got the nose for it."

"People can't usually follow me if I don't want them to."

"His nose has special powers."

"Yeah? That's why it's…" I smirked at her, knowing what she wanted to say.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Nothing. Do your ears have special powers too?" she remarked with a smile. I giggled, enjoying her presence as she spoke.

"I believe they do, Nancy." She smiled at me while the Doctor looked between us, confused.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked her before turning to me. "What do you mean?"

"Goodnight, Mister, Miss."

"Cerys. No miss here." Nancy smiled at me again before she started to walk off.

"Nancy, there's something chasing you and the other kids. Looks like a boy and it isn't a boy, and it started about a month ago, right? The thing I'm looking for, the thing that fell from the sky, that's when it landed. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Nancy turned to face us. "There was a bomb. A bomb that wasn't a bomb. Fell the other end of Limehouse Green Station."

"Take us there."

She shook her head. "There's soldiers guarding it. Barbed wire. You'll never get through."

"Trust me, he can get in almost anywhere."

"You sure you want to know what's going on in there?"

"We really want to know."

"Then there's someone you need to talk to first."

"And who might that be?"

"The doctor."

"Well," I smiled, walking over to her, "would you mind taking us there?" She glanced at me warily before nodding.

"I'm not coming in with you."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"Good," she finished before walking off with the Doctor and me in tow.

We had walked for a while before Nancy stopped atop the stairs. The Doctor pulled binoculars from his pocket and looked through them. "The bomb's under that tarpaulin. They put the fence up overnight." She pointed past the tarpaulin as the Doctor passed me the binoculars. "See that building? The hospital." I nodded and returned them to the Doctor.

"What about it?"

"That's where the doctor is. You should talk to him."

"For now, we're more interested in getting in there."

"Actually, I think we should talk to him." The Doctor glanced at me, wondering why I was suddenly so interested with speaking with the doctor. "It could help us figure out what's wrong with the little boy."

"I suppose," he started. "Why though?" I shrugged my shoulders, not really having another explanation.

"Because then maybe you won't want to get inside."

"Doubt that," I muttered as Nancy began to walk off again.

"Where are you going?"

"There was a lot of food in that house. I've got mouths to feed. Should be safe enough now."

"Can I ask you a question?" he started, waiting for her response to continue. "Who did you lose?"

"What?"

"The way you look after all those kids. It's because you lost somebody, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it."

"My little brother. Jamie. One night I went out looking for food. Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, I told him it was dangerous, but he just. He just didn't like being on his own."

"What happened?"

"In the middle of an air raid? What do you think happened?"

He huffed out a breath, donning a small smile. "Amazing." I watched, not saying anything until he explained himself.

"What is?"

"1941. Right now, not very far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it. Nothing. Until one, tiny, damp little island says no. No. Not here, he chuckled, "a mouse in front of a lion. You're amazing, the lot of you. Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me. Off you go then do what you've got to do. Save the world." I smiled as he finished, grabbing my hand and leading me down the stairs. "Alright then, just you and me."

"Yep. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," he answered as we headed off to the hospital.

Albion Hospital sent chills down my spine. It was eerily quiet for the middle of the Second World War. The Doctor released my hand for a moment to unlock the padlocked gates with his sonic screwdriver. When it was opened, he took my hand and led me to the door. I was glad for his hand. It comforted me, helped to push away the fear I felt. We walked down a long corridor before we reached the first ward. Walking through the darkened ward, I observed that every bed was filled with an extremely still person, a patient, each wearing a gas mask. As I observed them, an elderly man entered the room.

"You'll find them everywhere. In every bed, in every ward. Hundreds of them."

"Yes, I saw. Why are they still wearing gas masks?" the Doctor asked.

"They're not. Who are you?"

"I'm, er…"

"Are you the doctor?"

The man's eyes landed on me. A wave of sadness and pain hit me. I slightly grimaced, trying not to let it bother me too much. I inched back a bit, falling behind the Doctor. "Doctor Constantine. And you are?"

"Nancy sent us."

"Nancy? That means you must've been asking about the bomb."

"Yes."

"What do you know about it?"

"Nothing. Why I was asking. What do you know?"

"Only what it's done."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Those people, they were all caught up in the blast?"

"None of them were?" Doctor Constantine chuckled a bit before he started to cough. I rushed over to him and started to help him to a chair but he swatted me away. I backed away, respecting his wishes.

"You're very sick."

"Dying, I should think. I just haven't been able to find the time. Are you a doctor?"

" Not me but this one has his moments," I said, jerking my thumb to the Doctor.

"Have you examined any of them yet?"

"No."

"Don't touch the flesh."

"Which one?"

"Any one." The Doctor nodded and then walked over to the nearest patient. I watched as he pointed the sonic at him. "Conclusions?"

"Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side. Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns."

"Examine another one."

The Doctor did as he was told. "This isn't possible."

"Examine another."

"This isn't possible."

"No."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"They've all got the same injuries."

"But how?"

The Doctor shrugged but kept his attention on Constantine. "Yes."

"Exactly the same."

"Yes."

"Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the back of the hand." With that, I immediately thought of the little boy. I looked at Doctor Constantine's hand and saw he had the scar. When he noticed my gaze, he pulled his hand back, as if to hide it. Then I realized he had rejected my help in order to protect me. "How did this happen? How did it start?"

"When that bomb dropped, there was just one victim."

"Dead?"

"At first. His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, who had touched him, had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague. Can you explain that? What would you say was the cause of death?"

"The head trauma."

"No."

"Asphyxiation."

"No." I shook my head, catching what Constantine was saying.

"The collapse of the chest cavity-"

"No."

"All right. What was the cause of death?"

"There wasn't one. They're not dead." Doctor Constantine hit a bin with his cane. The Doctor and I watched in shock as they sat up in their beds at the sound of the noise. I backed away a bit more, with the Doctor pushing me behind him. "It's all right. They're harmless. They just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

"And they've all just been left here? Nobody's doing anything?" The patients slowly laid back down.

"I try and make them comfortable. What else is there?"

"Just you?" I asked softly.

"Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor."

"Yeah. I know the feeling." I glanced at the Doctor as he said that, his face expressionless and his eyes on the wall.

"I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb."

"Probably too late."

"No. There are isolated cases. Isolated cases breaking out all over London." He leant forward and the Doctor and I moved to help him, the Doctor more so than me. Doctor Constantine was changing and it was only a matter of time before he was no longer himself. "Stay back, stay back. Listen to me. Top floor. Room eight oh two. That's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again."

"Nancy?"

"It was her brother. She knows more than she's saying. She won't tell me, but she might-" I watched in horror as his expression changed and he grabbed his neck. "Mummy. Are you my mummy?" As he finished, his face began to change. A cylinder nozzle began to force its way out of his mouth and his pupils became so dilated that his eyes became black. Soon he was another gas mask zombie. As we stood there in shock, I heard the voice of a man calling out, followed by the familiar voice of Rose. Glancing at the Doctor, I took off into the corridor and bumped into her.

"Rose! I'm so glad to see you." I said as I hugged her. A throat was cleared and I released her and looked at the man. "Um, hello."

"Jack Harkness. And who might you be?"

"Cerys."

"Nice to meet you," he smirked, taking my hand and kissing it. I quickly pulled my hand away, wiping it on Rose.

"Hey!"

"He's your friend."

"Right. Uh, where is he?"

"Who?"

"Your other companion. Rose said there were three of you."

"Oh, right. Er, he should be right behind me," I said as I whipped around and collided with the Doctor's chest. I stepped back and glared at him. "You could have said something, you know."

"Eh. Who's this?"

"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents."

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Spock." Jack said as he clasped the Doctor's shoulder and walked into the ward, leaving the three of us alone.

"Really, Rose?"

"Mister Spock?"

"Oi, look at you two, finishing each other's questions." The Doctor continued to look at her while I brought my gaze elsewhere. "What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?"

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid."

"What?!" The Doctor and I yelled at her.

She rolled her eyes at us, slightly amused. "Look, what's a Chula warship?" I glanced at the Doctor, hoping he'd have an answer.

"Chula?" Instead of an answer, he turned and walked into the ward, leaving us to follow.

When we got in, we found Jack using some device on his wrist to examine the patients. I stood back and watched, deciding to let the Doctor do all the talking. "This just isn't possible. How did this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?"

"What?"

"He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer."

"What kind of warship?"

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this."

"This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?" the Doctor asked angrily as he approached the man.

"An ambulance! Look." Jack pressed some more buttons and a hologram of what the Doctor had been chasing popped up. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait-"

"Bait?"

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a war ship."

"They have ambulances in wars," Jack said, to her, almost as if she were stupid. "It was a con. I was conning you. That's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents. You're not, are you?"

"Just a couple more freelancers."

"Oh. Should have known. The way you guys are blending in with the local color. I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but the Punk and U-Boat Captain? Anyway, whatever's happening, here, has got nothing to do with that ship."

"What is happening here, Doctor?"

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?"

I thought about it all for a moment. This all started with the ambulance and ended up here. There was a child running around looking for him mum with the same cut on his little hand. The more I thought about it, the less sense it made but it also made a ton of sense. I looked up. "What if there is no point? What if it's just a side effect, an accident?"

"To what?"

"I-" I stopped when I saw the patients sit up. My expression must have told them something since the Doctor, Rose and Jack came over to me, the Doctor taking a protective stance before us. I felt his hand snake into mine, offering me comfort.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?"

"What's happening?" Rose fearfully asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted as the patients and Constantine stood up.

"Mummy."

"Don't let them touch you."

"What happens if they touch you?"

"That, Rose. You become one of them," I answered for the Doctor.

"Help me, mummy." We backed against the wall, with the patients crowding around us and the Doctor standing in front of Rose, Jack and me, shielding us. "Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

"Well, this feels familiar," Rose said, bringing up the adventure with the Gelth. I managed to crack a small smile at her remark. Before they got too close, I tugged the Doctor's hand. When he turned around, I placed a quick peck on his cheek, getting my point across in that small move. If we were to become one of those zombies, I wanted him to know I was grateful for all he'd done.

* * *

_Hey all. Super sorry I haven't updated in forever. I went on vacation, which I think I mentioned before, and although I had internet connection, I was usually extremely busy and had little to no time to even get on the computer. But I'm updating now and will be consecutively until next week, one chapter a day until next Sunday when I return to my normal schedule. _

_**Guest**- Yeah, that's a thing I'm trying to get through, always listen to Cerys when she has her feelings. The Doctor and Cerys' relationship will be revealed as the story goes. I'm dropping little hints in each chapter about it. _

_**Hae**- I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Yeah, honestly, she's one of my favourite characters so far. I am definitely keeping all the good stuff to myself until the right time. _

_**Lunabloodmoon66**- Thanks you so much and I'm so happy you're enjoying Her Secrets. I really felt that someone should have been there when the Doctor was in the elevator with Van Statten and his guards, to at least try and stop them from torturing the poor man. _

_**Grapejuice101**- I'm happy to oblige. _

_**Lizzybug2000**- Yeah, I'm trying not too write too much but a good friend of mine who is also a writer is constantly checking to make sure that I am writing. Well, we do that for each other, both of us having bouts of writer's block or just not writing at all. But I'm definitely refreshed from my vacation so there will be a lot more writing when I don't have any coursework to do. _

_**BreeBree12345**- Really glad you like the story so far. Get ready for a chapter overload, haha. _


	13. The Doctor Dances

_Hey so I'm sure you're all mad at me for not updating last week and I'm so very sorry for that. I was crazy busy on my holiday and all so that's why there hasn't been an update. But I did add a chapter Sunday night, I believe. Hope you enjoy the chapter._

* * *

The patients stood at arms-length. My grip on the Doctor's hand had tightened as I realized the next breath could be our last. If I was hurting him, he showed no sign of it. My thoughts quickly shifted from the Doctor and drifted to my life. Sure, it had pretty much been a mess but there were good parts, mainly Rose, Jackie, and meeting the Doctor. Each good memory I had played in my mind, with me hoping it would at least calm me before I became a gas mask zombie.

As I thought, I felt the Doctor move a bit. I glanced at him and saw that he had crossed his arms behind him, keeping my hand in his all the while. I watched him curiously, waiting for what he would do next. "Go to your room." I looked at him bewildered but remained quiet, watching the patients, who just stood there staring at us. "Go to your room. I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I am very, very cross. Go. To. Your. Room." The patients hung their heads, almost as if they were ashamed of themselves, and shuffled away, returning to their beds.

"I'm really glad that worked," he said, throwing me a quick smile. "Those would have been terrible last words."

"Yeah, you think?"

"No need to get snarky."

"Sorry, near death experiences do that to me." I turned to Rose, "How many times does this make?"

"Three times, I think."

I gave the Doctor a quick smirk that he rolled his eyes to. "You knew it was dangerous."

"I never said I didn't enjoy it. Besides, what's the fun in safe?" He smiled and moved from in front of us, releasing my hand.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked as she sat beside one of the beds. Jack had taken a seat, his feet on the desk I was sitting on and the Doctor stood beside me.

"They aren't actually, Rosie. It's their face, all flesh and bone."

The Doctor turned to Jack. "How was your con supposed to work?"

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put fifty percent up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The _perfect _self-cleaning con."

"Yeah. Perfect."

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day," Jack laughed, before he looked at us. Noticing our stoic expressions, his small smile fading. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did."

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty." I rolled my eyes at Jack.

The Doctor turned to us, with his usual detached expression. "Rose."

"Are we getting out of here?"

"We're going upstairs."

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it."

"Right, you didn't think that things wouldn't go according to plan? Nothing ever truly sound, Harkness. That burnt-out, empty medical transporter that you programed not to land on anything living did just that. And I highly doubt it was empty," I snapped before I walked off to finds the stairs.

I leant against the banister, waiting for them to find me. I watched as the Doctor walked past me, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him. As we raced up the stairs, I heard Rose and Jack. I laughed a bit when Jack called him Mr. Spock. "Oh, I have to thank Rose for that. It's quite funny."

"Don't you even think about it."

"Whatever you say, Spock." We stopped as we reached a metal door on the top floor. We stood there, waiting for the others to reach us.

"Have you got a blaster?" the Doctor called out as they ran past us.

The pair stopped and retraced their steps, joining us on the upper landing. "Sure!"

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken."

"What happened?"

"Let's find out. Get it open."

"What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"Nothing." Jack took out the blaster and disintegrated the lock. "Sonic blaster, fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?"

"You've been to the factories?"

"Once."

"Well, they gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot."

"Like I said. Once." I quickly caught what he was saying. "There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

"Not even."

"They are."

"I'm getting rid of the bananas."

"Don't you think about it." I smirked and turned my attention to Rose and Jack. They were talking about Jack's gun. I rolled my eyes and walked into the room. My eyes widened as I saw the disarray it was in. The observation window was destroyed as well. A bit of electronic equipment shrouded the room but the one that stood out was the recorder.

"What do you think?"

"Something got out of here."

"Yeah. And?"

"Something powerful and angry."

"Powerful and angry." I looked into the room to see crayon drawings scattered across the walls. My thoughts instantly went to the little boy Nancy and the other kids were frightened of. As I pondered this, Rose and Jack seemed to realize that a child was the cause of all this. Caught up in my mind, I turned on the tape machine, the Doctor standing beside me.

_"Do you know where you are?"_ Doctor Constantine's voice came through.

_"Are you my mummy?"_

_"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?"_

_"Are you my mummy?"_

_"What do you want? Do you know-"_

_"I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"_

"Doctor, I've heard this voice before."

"So have we."

_"Mummy?"_

"Always 'are you my mummy?'. Like he doesn't know."

_"Mummy?"_

"Why doesn't he know?"

_"Are you there, mummy? Mummy? Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?"_

"Doctor?"

I shivered and let out a small squeak. A feeling of nausea came over me but there was nothing I could do about it. I shut my eyes, getting my breathing together. When I opened them, the Doctor's eyes pierced mine as he walked around the child's room while I stood by Rose. "Can you sense it?" I looked away, answering his question. It seeped through the walls, the fear, the emptiness.

"Sense what?"

"Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?"

_"Mummy?"_

"Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?"

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species."

"Rose, I'm thinking."

"He cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life forms he's cleverer than."

"There are these children living rough round the bomb sites. They come out during air-raids looking for food."

_"Mummy, please?"_

"What if they were around when you're space-junk landed?" I finished.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless."

"That's what you keep saying but I don't believe that's true." I turned away from Jack, highly irritated by him at the moment.

"Suppose one of them was affected, altered?"

"Altered how?" Rose asked as the tape ended. My head snapped to the Doctor immediately as I continued to hear the little boy's voice. An almost crippling fear enveloped me.

"I'm here!" I backed away, looking for a way out.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do." He chuckled humorlessly. "It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room."

"Doctor…"

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"What's that noise?"

"The end of the tape. Ran out thirty seconds ago," I whispered.

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"I sent it to its room. This is its room."

We all looked to the broken window and saw the little boy standing there staring at us. "Are you my mummy? Mummy?" I stared at him, paralyzed and a bit saddened.

"Doctor?"

"Okay, on my signal make for the door," Jack said, taking command of the situation.

"Mummy?"

I watched as Jack whipped out his sonic blaster and aimed it at the boy. I almost giggled when I saw it was a banana. "Now!"

"Mummy?"

The Doctor pulled out Jack's gun and aimed it at the wall, giving us a way out. Jack looked from him to the banana in his hand. "Go now! Don't drop the banana!" he exclaimed, pulling me through the opening.

"Why not?"

"Good source of potassium!"

We quickly left the room and exited to the hallway leaving the boy in the room. "Give me that," Jack said as he snatched the device from the Doctor's hand.

"Mummy. I want my mummy."

Jack flipped a switch and used the blaster to fix the wall before the child could come through the hole. "Digital rewind." He tossed the banana to the Doctor. "Nice switch."

"It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?"

"Bananas are good."

My eyes were trained on the wall during their conversation. As they spoke, I heard a pounding coming from the other side. "We should go," I quickly stated. Not a minute later, the wall started to crack.

"Doctor!"

"Come on!" he said as he started to lead us down the corridor, only to stop when he saw the patients coming from that side. We turned, going the opposite direction but more patients blocked the path, leaving us in front of the wall with Jack pointing his blaster at it.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

"It's keeping us here till it can get at us."

"It's controlling them?"

"It is them. It's every living thing in this hospital."

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?"

"I've got a sonic, er," he whipped out the screwdriver before turning from Jack, "Oh, never mind."

"What?"

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that." Rose and I glanced at each other and rolled our eyes at the Doctor. He was being stupid about the whole thing. No one cared if it was a screwdriver. Even still, I knew it must be one of those guy things, with Jack having the better toy.

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!"

"A sonic what?"

"Screwdriver!" he answered exasperatedly as the boy finally broke through the wall. I glanced at Rose and then the blaster. Meeting my eyes, she caught on to my idea and grabbed it, pointing it to the floor.

"Going down!" she yelled as she pressed the button and opened up a hole. When we had recovered from the fall, Jack took the device and closed the hole. "Cerys, Doctor, are you okay?"

I nodded and looked around a bit. "Could've used a warning." I lightly slapped his arm for being rude. She'd just saved our lives no thanks to him.

"Oh, the gratitude."

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?"

"I do."

"Lights."

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ooo, this could be a little more sonic?"

"What, you've never been bored?"

"There's got to be a light switch."

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?"

As Rose hit the light switch, the patients sat up in their beds. "Mummy. Mummy."

"Door." Jack hit the button on his sonic blaster but it didn't work. "Damn it!"

"Mummy."

"Dammit! It's the special features. They really drain the battery."

"The battery?" Rose questioned as we took off again. The Doctor managed to get us into a storeroom. Once he'd started on the door, I sat on the floor in the corner, once again becoming an observer.

"That's so lame!"

"I was going to send for another one, but somebody's got to blow up the factory."

"Oh, I know. First day we met him, he blew up our job. That's practically how he communicates."

When the Doctor had finished locking the door, he turned to us. "Okay, that door should hold it for a bit."

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!"

"Well, it's got to find us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves."

The Doctor ignored his jab. "Window."

"Barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories."

"And no other exits."

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. Jack wasn't being much help at the moment. I knew I wasn't either but I wasn't the one throwing snarky comments towards the Doctor.

"So, where'd you pick this one up, then?"

"Doctor."

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance."

"Okay. One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

My eyes remained on Jack as he punched in things on his wrist device. Looking up at me, he gave a wink and then vanished. "Yeah. Jack just disappeared," Rose told him before she went to sit in a wheelchair. "Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?"

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted." A smile crossed my lips at his words.

"I mean, men."

The laugh I had tried to stifle escaped, causing the Doctor to send me a small glare. "Okay, thanks. That really helped." He came and stood by me, looking out the window. As he did so, the radio that stood on the shelf came to life.

"Rose? Cerys? Doctor?" We walked over to a cupboard, the Doctor opening it to reveal a radio whose wires were broken. "Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it. Hang in there."

"How're you speaking to us?"

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill."

"Now there's a coincidence."

"What is?"

"The little boy," I started, "he can do that too."

"He can?"

I nodded but left the explaining to the Doctor. "Anything with a speaker grill. Even the Tardis phone."

"What, you mean the child can phone us?"

"And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you."

"Doctor, can you hear that?"

"Loud and clear."

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do."

"Coming to find you, mummy."

"Remember this one, Rose?" he asked as music came through the radio. I glanced at her, giving her a quick smirk.

"Our song."

"Your song?"

"Don't start, Cerys."

"Why not? You fancy him."

"We are not going there."

"Course not," I replied, still smirking at her. She rolled her eyes at me before she closed them.

I turned to the Doctor, watching as he was using his screwdriver on the barred windows. "What you doing?" Rose asked him.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars."

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?"

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"You don't trust him?"

"Why do you?"

"He saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing. I trust him because he's like you. Except with dating and dancing," Rose said, earning a look and a head shake from the Doctor. "What?"

"And there it is," I muttered as the Doctor rounded on her.

"You just assume I'm…"

"What?"

"You just assume that I don't dance."

"What, are you telling me you do dance?" She quickly shot me a glance and stood.

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced."

"You?"

"Problem?"

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you dance?"

"Well, I've got the moves but I don't want to boast."

Rose turned up the radio's volume. "Come on, Cerys. He says he's got the moves. Show us your moves."

I shook my head, laughing but she grabbed my arm and pulled me to her side. "I'm, I'm trying to resonate concrete."

"Jack'll be back. He'll get us out. So come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances." She held out her hand to him and he looked at it, a curious expression on his face.

"Barrage balloon?"

"What?"

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon."

"Oh, yeah. About two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet above London, middle of a German air-raid, Union Jack all over my chest."

"I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly."

"Is this you dancing? Because I've got notes."

"Hanging from a rope thousands feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise."

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up."

I raised an eyebrow. "Captain Jack is it?"

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a Captain."

"He's not really a captain, Rose."

"Do you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy. You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

"If he ever was a Captain, he's been defrocked."

"Really? Shame Rose and I missed that." I joked, winking at them. "Oh, and we're not in the storeroom anymore."

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock. Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet." Jack shot me another wink, having heard what I had said to my friends. "Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is."

"Oh, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes."

"This is a Chula ship."

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous." The Doctor snapped his fingers and a golden light covered his hands.

"They're what fixed my hands up Jack called them er…"

"Nanobots? Nanogenes?"

"Nanogenes, yeah."

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws. Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online. Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were doing."

"We were talking about dancing."

"It didn't look like talking."

"It didn't feel like dancing," Rose added.

I rolled my eyes at them as the Doctor came and stood by me. I patted his arm and then turned to examine the ship's interior. It was gorgeous although a little cramped for four adults. When I had come full circle, I felt the Doctor's eyes on me. Facing him, I gave him a questioning look before I realized what he wanted to ask. "I'm fine," I whispered sitting on the bed. He took a seat beside me.

"Good. Can't have anything happening to you."

"And Rose," I added. He nodded and looked away. "You know… that really didn't look like dancing to me."

"Not you too."

"Well if you say you can dance, you'd better back it up. Rose grew up dancing."

"And you?"

"I'm not much of a dancer. Two left feet."

"Can't be that bad?"

"Trust me, I am, if you were actually talking about dancing. The way the conversation started, I'd think you were using the word to replace sex." I smirked as a faint pink tinted his cheeks before waving it off. "Anyways, looks like we're mobile," I said as Jack asked us about the crash site.

When we landed, we hid behind a stack of boxes, looking at the obstacles that laid before us. There was a man walking between the tracks. "There it is. Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important."

"We've got to get past him."

"Are the words 'distract the guard' heading in our general direction?"

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea."

"Don't worry we can handle it."

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him. Don't wait up." Jack ran off to Algy as Rose stared after him.

"Relax, he's a fifty first century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."

"How flexible?"

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy."

"Meaning?"

"So many species, so little time."

"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and, and…"

"Dance," the Doctor finished for her with a satisfied grin.

I looked between the two of them before turning my attention to Jack and Algy. As I watched, the familiar tingle ran down my spine, alerting me that something was wrong. Without thinking much of it, I broke out into a run. I heard the Doctor and Rose calling my name but I needed to get to Jack. When I reached him, I grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him away from Algy's outstretched arm and ultimately putting myself in his reach. "Don't let him touch you," I gasped in between breaths as Rose and the Doctor caught up. Jack nodded and then ordered his men to stay back, pulling me away from the changed man.

"What were you thinking? He could have infected you," the Doctor chastised.

"But he didn't. I'm fine and dandy. Anyways, if the little boy didn't touch him, what does that mean?"

"The effect's become airborne, accelerating." The air raid sirens started again.

"What's keeping us safe?"

"Nothing."

"Ah, here they come again."

"All we need," Rose muttered. "Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?"

"Never mind about that. If the contaminants airborne now, there's hours left."

"For what?"

"Till nothing, forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?" I scrunched up my nose and listened carefully. In the distance, I heard someone singing Rock-a-Bye Baby.

The Doctor took off in the direction, leading to a tent. He went in and after a minute or two, exited with Nancy in tow. Relieved to see her safe, I threw my arms around her. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I almost wasn't but I'm fine."

"This is Rose, my sister," I quickly said, before we all headed to the bombsite.

Once there, the lights were turned on and the spacecraft was uncovered. "You see? Just an ambulance."

"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's from another world."

"They've been trying to get in."

"Of course they have. They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?"

Jack began to type on the keypad. "The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it." As he said that, there was a loud band, sparks, and an alarm went off, as did a flashing red light. "Didn't happen last time."

"It hadn't crashed last time. There'll be emergency protocols."

"Doctor, what's that?" Rose asked, getting no reply. I grabbed her arm as I saw the red gates move forward as they were banged against. "Doctor!"

"Captain, secure those gates!"

"Why?"

"Just do it! Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire."

"Show Rose. Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D." The Doctor ordered, tossing Rose the sonic.

"What?"

"Reattaches the barbed wire. Go!"

"And what about me?" I asked.

"You stay put."

"I want to help."

"Just stay put, Cerys. I haven't got the time to argue."

"Even if I could be of some help?"

"You will be. Just stay put. No running off." I grumbled and walked off a bit. "No running off."

"I'm not running off!" I yelled as Jack finally got the ambulance open.

"It's empty. Look at it." Just then Rose and Nancy returned.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Rose?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do," he told her, lifting his hand.

"Nanogenes!"

"It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

"Oh God."

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gasmask."

"And they brought him back to life? They can do that?"

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up.

"Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!"

"I didn't know." The Doctor ignored him as he worked on the ambulance. All the while, gas mask zombies approached us.

"Mummy. Mummy."

"Cerys!" I ran over to her, seeing them approach.

"It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?" Rose concluded.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol."

"But the gas mask people aren't troops."

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you."

"That's why the child's so strong. Why it could do that phoning thing."

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them." We were surrounded, all on the outside of the barbed wire.

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander."

"The child?"

"Jamie."

"What?"

"It's not the child or the boy. His name's Jamie," I snapped. Nancy looked at me, grateful for my input. If I were to be honest, I was getting tired of calling him 'the boy'.

"So, how long until the bomb falls?"

"Any second."

"What's the matter, Captain? A bit close to the volcano for you?"

"He's just a little boy." I placed my arm around Nancy, comforting her the best I could. Although she had said Jamie was her brother, I couldn't believe it. Not with her grief.

"I know."

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked.

"I don't know.

"It's my fault."

"No, it's not, Nancy. You did what you had to do."

"It is. It's all my fault."

"How can it be your…" the Doctor trailed off, finally catching on to what I had already figured out. I kept my arm around her, comforting her as she cried.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

"Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty one? Older than you look, yes?"

"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds."

"You can teleport us out."

"Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols."

"So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do."

"Jack?" Rose called out but Jack had already teleported back to his ship.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway. He's not your brother, is he? A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him."

The gates opened with Jamie standing at the front. "Are you my mummy?"

"He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop."

"Mummy?"

"You have to tell him, Nancy. The future is in your hands. If you don't trust anyone else," I pled, "trust me. Please tell him." Nancy nodded at me and the two began to walk towards each other.

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Yes. Yes, I am your mummy."

"Mummy?"

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes."

"Are you my mummy?"

"He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left."

"Shut up and let Nancy work."

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry," Nancy cried as she knelt down and took Jamie in her arms. As she did so, the nanogenes surrounded them.

"What's happening? Doctor, it's changing her, we should-"

"Shush! Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out." I smiled at the Doctor as he told the nanogenes what to do. I was hoping they'd figure it out as well.

"What's happening?"

"Looks like they're recognizing the same DNA." The Doctor nodded at my answer. Nancy and Jamie released each other and Nancy fell to the ground.

"Oh, come on then. Give me a day like this. Give me this one," the Doctor begged as he knelt down and removed Jamie's gas mask. "Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music- you're going to love it." He lifted the boy, happy it had worked out.

"What happened?" Nancy asked.

"The nanogenes recognised the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them! Ha-ha! Mother knows best!"

"Oh, Jamie."

"Doctor, that bomb."

"Taken care of it."

"How?"

"Psychology." As the bomb hurtled to us, Jack caught it in his ship's light beam just before it hit. Jack was sitting on top of it.

"Doctor!"

"Good lad?"

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long."

"Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?"

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Goodbye," Jack said as he and the bomb disappeared for a bit, only to return. "By the way, love the t-shirt." He disappeared again and the spaceship flew off. The Doctor then summoned the nanogenes to himself.

"What are you doing?"

"Software patch. Going to email the upgrade. You want moves? I'll give you moves." The Doctor smirked at me and then threw the nanogenes at the patients who then fell. "Everybody lives. Just this once, everybody lives!" The patients began to stand, back to normal but very confused. The Doctor and I ran over to them. "Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor. The world doesn't want to get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit. These are your patients. All better now."

"Yes, yes, so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?"

"Yeah, well, you know… cutbacks. Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?" We went back over to Rose, Nancy, and Jamie.

"Right, you lot. Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state! Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Well, you're usually first in line," I smirked.

He shot me a look and led us to the Tardis. Once in, I went to sit on the chair, happy to have my spot back. Rose and I watched him move around the console. "The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!"

"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas."

"Who says I'm not, red bicycle when you were twelve?"

"What?" I laughed at her reaction, sitting on the jump seat.

"And everybody lives, Cerys and Rose! Everybody lives! I need more days like this."

"Doctor."

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on fire."

"What about Jack? Why'd he say goodbye?" The Doctor glanced at her and then messed around with the console. Rose went to open the door and the Doctor took my hand and we started dancing, well more like tried to dance. "Well, hurry up then!" she said as Jack ran in. Rose then turned her attention to us. "Okay. And right and turn. Okay, okay, try and spin Cerys again, but this time don't get her arm up her back. No extra points for a half-nelson."

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff. Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught." Jack shut the door and the Doctor released me for a moment to start up the engine. "Welcome to the Tardis." He then took my hands again and we started to dance.

"Much bigger on the inside."

"You'd better be."

"Come on then, Jack. Show me your moves," Rose said to him, holding out her hand.

"Rose! I've just remembered!" the Doctor excitedly said as he moved me around. The music had changed from the waltz to swing, Glenn Miller's In the Mood to be exact.

"What?"

"I can dance! I can dance!"

"Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance."

"I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain. That's why I'm dancing with Cerys," he replied as he dipped me. I laughed as he pulled me up, both of us having fun. This was what I missed those four days, the adventure, the fun and my friends.

After a while, all the dancing stopped and Rose had gone off to show Jack where his room would be, leaving the Doctor and me alone. As we sat there in comfortable silence, I finally decided to ask him about the man in my dream, the one with the kind eyes and the girl, more than anything, my focus was on her. I knew the girl I was dreaming about had to be from another world and if anyone knew, it was the Doctor; at least I hoped he knew and although I didn't want to prod, I wanted answers. "Doctor?"

"Yes."

"On your planet, were there people who were judges?"

"What do you mean?"

"Were they allowed to condemn people to death, or er, forced regeneration?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. Curiosity?"

"That's not it. Come on, tell me."

"It's silly but I had a dream that a girl was put through that. She was blamed for something she didn't do and they stabbed her and dragged her away. It was probably just a silly dream but I thought you might know something about that kind of stuff."

"My people, they often used forced regeneration as a punishment for some crimes. Death was reserved for the very worst. If what you saw was true, then I sympathize for the girl."

"Well that's another thing. There was a man there, he had kind brown eyes. He looked like he wanted to help her but couldn't. Maybe it's just what I wanted to see but-"

He looked away from me, looking at the floor. It was something I had grown used to seeing, something he did when he was remembering something sad. "It was probably nothing."

"How can you be so sure? What if there was a girl who went through that, who had to suffer because of her lineage? If that's how your people were, cruel and ruthless, then maybe it's a good thing they are gone. No one deserves that treatment!"

"Maybe she committed a crime."

"If her crime was being the daughter of a man not like them, then they are all idiots," I snapped before storming off. As I did, I heard footsteps behind me. I sighed and whirled around, coming face to face with the Doctor. "Can I help you?"

"You're quite infuriating."

"Thank you."

"They didn't always do what was right but they are my people. They needed a weapon to end the war."

"Wait, they were going to use her as a weapon? That's just sick! They were going to murder a young girl in order to win a war? That's pathetic. If you want to defend them, at least try to come up with a better argument."

"And if there is none?"

"Then don't argue with me," I smirked. "Oh, did you know a woman named, er, Marhai?"

The Doctor stared at me, eyes almost widened in shock. I placed a hand on his leather clad arm in an attempt to release him from his daze.

"How did you hear of her?"

"Dream. It was about her and her husband. Did you know them?"

"Yes. They were friends. Both disappeared before the war."

"Where to?"

"No one knows. They left their daughter behind but she also vanished. No one has seen them in over three hundred years."

"When?"

"A bit after the war started."

"Do you think they're together, the three of them?"

"I hope so. After all they've been through-"

"You mean them being allowed to marry and have a child that could be used during the war?"

"Yes. They deserve peace."

"I think so too," I said with a smile. "Anyways, Doctor, I'm off to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night."

"Get some sleep, will you. I know you could stay up for hours on end but you need to rest just like the rest of us." The Doctor just waved me off and returned to the console room. Sighing, I went to my room and flopped onto my bed, thinking about the conversation I'd just had. The Doctor said they were just friends but his eyes told me they were more than that. I wanted to ask more questions but I refused to pry anymore. I was pulling up memories for him, things he probably didn't want to think about but I couldn't help but wonder what that girl and her family was to him. This day had been long and at some points terrifying but I was happy and that was good, even if I knew it wasn't going to last. Rose had a new friend, the Doctor and I were talking again, and things were kind of back to normal. Breathing out a long breath, I clicked off the lights and burrowed under the covers, letting sleep take me.

* * *

_So, what did you think of the chapter? I was so sad when I didn't see any reviews on the previous ones. I truly love hearing your thoughts and it normally makes my day. It also gives me someone to reply to after the chapter's over so that I'm not just rambling. _

_I was thinking of posting another DW fan fic soon and I wanted to know what I should title it and what the character's name should be. Yes, she will be a full on Time Lady. So anything helps. With that, please review and all. I'll be posting tomorrow if all goes well. _


	14. Boom Town

_Hello! So I am finally updating. It's so sad that this part will be over in just three chapters. Thank you for sticking around. So, I've decided to do the story as two companions in each book, so the rest of Rose will also be in here. I've been editing and reediting so if you find an error, please feel free to tell me. With that said, onto the story._

* * *

Waking up, I felt refreshed for the first time in a while. Jumping up, I went to shower and quickly got dressed. I let my hair fall from its ponytail and rushed out of the room. On my way to the kitchen, I ran into someone wearing khaki pants and a blue t-shirt. Jumping back, I quickly apologized to Jack as he looked at me with an amused expression. "No harm. Where's the fire?"

"Fire? Er, no fire."

"Off to see the Doctor?"

"Nope," I replied, grimacing at his accusation. "I'm hungry and off to the kitchen. Care to join? We could tell Rose you cooked."

"Yeah, that would work if Rose wasn't behind you," Rose remarked. I whirled around, throwing my arms around her shoulders, he eyes widening in shock. "What's gotten into you this morning? Or should I say who?"

"Stop it, Rosie." I lightly slapped her arm. "I just had a really good night's sleep. Can't I wake up happy, or is that not allowed?"

"We did leave you alone with the Doctor…"

"And you two are awful chummy," Jack added.

"Shut up. I did not sleep with him." My cheeks had heated up a bit. "I didn't have any nightmares last night, that's all."

"Nightmares?"

"Guess you didn't tell your boyfriend, Rose."

"Shut up." She smiled at me before turning her attention to Jack. "Cerys' had nightmares for as long as I've known her. They interrupt her sleep. On good nights she tends to get two hours maybe four max."

"Yep. But enough about me. How's breakfast sound? I'm cooking."

"Sounds great. Are you going to make the pancakes, the ones with the oranges? Oh, and what about eggs and bacon? I'll take mine crispy, thank you."

"Oh, really, Rosie? And who do you think you are, Queen of England?"

"I could be. Besides, you said you were cooking, right?"

"Well… seeing as we're together, I figured we'd all cook. It's been a while since we have in general, Rose. Oh, the times we had woken up before Jackie and made her a good meal."

"That was ages ago."

"Yeah, well, let's get to it then. Practice for the next time we see her?"

"Alright. You make the muffins and the pancakes. I've got eggs and the bacon. Jack can do the fruit and toast."

"Why do I have to make the toast? Anyone could make toast. I've got the sausage."

"Fine, you can do the three of them then."

"Sounds good."

"Jack, not everyone can make toast," I added, glancing at Rose.

"That was once!" I laughed and continued to the kitchen with Jack and Rose following closely behind.

After forty-five minutes filled with laughs, messes, and multiple jabs at each other's cooking, breakfast was finished. I'd even made my chocolate cheesecake cupcakes. While Jack and Rose had started to pile their plates, I left the room, going to find the Doctor. He was under the Tardis console, doing something to it. I watched him for a bit before making myself known.

"What can I do for you?"

"We were having breakfast."

"That's nice."

"Well, we're missing someone."

"I'm not getting Jackie."

I laughed a bit before sobering up. "I meant you, dummy. You've got to eat some time."

"Not hungry."

"Don't care. The Tardis can wait a bit. I'm sure she'll be much happier after you've gotten some food."

"I'm not hungry."

"Fine. Then just grace us with your presence."

He glanced up from his work and rolled his eyes at me before getting up. "You're insufferable."

"Thanks. You're no better," I replied with a smirk.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I didn't have any nightmares."

"That's good."

"Yeah. Now, enough chit chat. Food's getting cold."

He nodded as I grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "I know my way to the kitchen."

"I'm sure. This is more so you don't disappear. Can't have you doing that with friends around." He stopped walking and stared at me. My smile vanished when I saw his distant expression. "What is it? What did I say this time?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of someone."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's fine. Anyways, breakfast," he hurriedly said as he pulled me along.

"You don't have to come."

"Nonsense. Can't have all that food go to…" he stopped when we got to the door and saw that Rose and Jack had gotten through most of the food. "Waste."

I groaned as they shot us quick apologetic smiles. "You know, this was enough to feed six."

"Was it?"

"Yes. Rose really enjoys my cooking."

"He ate most of it."

"It's delicious."

I rolled my eyes and dragged the Doctor to the table. Sitting down, I grabbed a few pancakes for myself, dumping one of everything on the Doctor's plate. I gave no notice to Jack and Rose's looks. When I was finally finished, I looked down at my plate and began to eat. From the corner of my eye, I watched as the Doctor picked up his fork and began to eat. A content smile graced my lips as he continued to eat past two bites. Once finished, the Doctor silently stood and walked off. I glanced down, knowing his demeanor was due to me reminding him of someone. Looking up, the two were looking at me questioningly. I shook my head before collecting all the dishware and starting to wash them, with Rose and Jack helping to dry and put them away.

When the kitchen was cleaned, we all went our separate ways, with me returning to the library. I walked around, looking for a new book to read. Things were quiet, with Rose and Jack doing something and the Doctor most likely in the console room. When there was nothing at eye-level, I climbed up the ladder and looked for something higher up. I smiled as I found what seemed like an interesting book, and it proved to be when I had finally settled down in my favorite spot before the fire. As I made my way through the novel, I abruptly felt sick. If it was anything like what had happened at the fish and chips shop, then I was in for trouble. I dropped the book and tried to stand up but my knees gave out on me. Curling into the fetal position, I closed my eyes and took in deep breaths even though it was hard to breathe. My heart was pounding as if it would give out any minute. As I felt a throbbing sensation in my head, I involuntarily whimpered. I kept hoping the Tardis wouldn't alert the others of my current situation as I felt myself slipping away.

_Although everyone's eyes were on me, I was watching him. Our eyes connected and he smirked as I blushed. 'You look beautiful.'_

_'__Why did you want to do this? We're already one.'_

_'__I wanted them to see, to know that you were mine.'_

_'__They've known for a while. It's not a secret you're with a half-breed.'_

_'__Not today. You're supposed to be happy.'_

_'__I was before I came here. I prefer it be just us.'_

_'__Shall we then?'_

_'__We shall.' I waited until he had walked from the small stage and had taken my hand. Then we ran._

_Darkness that was once welcomed became an enemy. There was nothing friendly about this. They had ripped me away from him, from my beloved. I couldn't feel or hear him. My captors had either cut us off or killed him. I hoped it was the first. I had taken to huddling into a corner whenever the door opened. They were trying to break me, to make me into a warrior, a murderer. Instead of the "friendly" men that normally greeted me, it was Rassilon. His mouth was set in his characteristic frown but his eyes were lit with an almost childlike glee. I inched further into the corner as if it could protect me. He came to a stop, reaching down and grabbing me by the throat. Without a word, he dragged me out of the room and into another. The moment the door closed behind me, the room's temperature dropped significantly. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself and began to walk around the dimly lit cell. Finding another corner, I huddled myself into it, feeling incomplete and almost numb. Closing my eyes, I slowed my heartbeats and let darkness take me._

When I came to, I was in my bed with Rose sleeping beside me. I looked around as I sat up, ignoring the dull pounding in my head. On the floor sat Jack and standing in the corner with his arms crossed was the Doctor. Our eyes met briefly before I looked away from the intensity of his gaze. Shaking my head, I turned my attention to my best friend. I shook her awake, narrowly avoiding getting slapped in the process. "Cerys?"

"Yeah."

She threw her arms around me before she abruptly let me go and slapped my arm rather hard. "I was so worried for you. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Er, what are you talking about?" As soon as the question left my mouth, she pulled out the pill bottles from under my pillow. My eyes widened as I realized what she had thought. "No, Rose that was not what happened."

She ignored me. "I knew something was up when you were making breakfast. The last time you were this cheerful I found you on the bathroom floor. Why would you do it again? You promised mum and me. Is that why you locked yourself in here? Were you planning that entire time? Do you know how upset mum would have been? I thought you were happy, finally enjoying yourself. Are you really that desperate?" By that time Jack had woken up and was watching us intently. I was glad he had missed the bathroom part of it. I didn't need another person to know or imply what had happened, although I was sure the Doctor had probably figured it out. "After all this time, you would break your promise to me?" I held her gaze, watching was the tears rolled down her cheeks. I felt bad, even if that wasn't what had happened. I knew that when I did, she would be devastated.

"Rose, I didn't do what you're thinking."

"Then why were you passed out in the library? Why did you have the blue bottle?"

"I was really in a good mood, Rosie. But the library, it was like that time we were in the fish and chip shop."

"And breakfast?"

"I was trying to apologize to you and the Doctor for locking myself away those four days and not talking to you guys. I'm sorry I caused so much worry. It wasn't something I wanted to happen." I glanced at the Doctor and then at Rose. "Er, you didn't say anything about…" I asked, taking the bottles and returning them to their spot under the pillow.

"No. The Tardis told the Doctor something was wrong. He brought you here and then got me and Jack. I'm sure he has a few questions though."

"Right," I murmured as I went to stand. I wobbled a bit after a second or two, but got my bearings. Keeping my eyes straight and expression blank, I walked to the bathroom and shut the door. Leaning against, it, I slid down to the floor and sat there for a while until I heard Jack say something about the party being over.

After they had all shuffled out, I reopened the bathroom door and flopped onto my empty bed, sifting through everything I'd seen after passing out. I felt sorry for the girl, to have such happiness and to have it ripped away by the man who wanted to use her as a weapon. It seemed as if he was trying to break her will. I sighed. It was tragic really, especially if she was murdered. Opening my eyes, I saw a leather clad torso leaning against the door. "What can I do you for?"

"What was it about?"

"My dream? Um, nothing really."

"Are you sure?"

"What, does it matter?"

"It doesn't."

"Good. Er, where are we?"

"Cardiff. Meet us in the console room when you're ready," he answered as he turned to leave.

"Doctor, could we not do this again?"

"Do what?"

"The whole ignoring each other thing, or rather you ignoring me and I just take it and seethe for the entire trip until Rose throws us together. It's getting quite old and to be honest, I don't really like it much." He gazed at me for a moment, his passive expression softening a bit before nodding and exiting the room.

After a quick shower and change, I went out to the console room. I was shocked when I saw Mickey barging in. I went and sat in the captain's chair, watching everything with an amused expression. "Don't tell me. This must be Mickey." I nodded at Jack's assessment.

The Doctor stood on a ladder, working on a bit of wiring wearing something around his head with a flashing red light. "Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!"

"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up," Rose told him.

Mickey's eyes met hers and then he took in here appearance. "You look fantastic." The two hugged and when they parted, he glanced over to me. "Can't be said for you, Cerys."

"Oh, I beg to differ," the Doctor inserted as he worked, causing my cheeks to heat up a bit.

"Aw, how sweet. How come I never get any of that?"

"Take me to an amusement park and maybe, Jack."

"Buy me a drink first," was the Doctor's answer.

Jack turned from me and looked at the Doctor, giving him a small pout. "You're such hard work, the both of you."

"But we're definitely worth it," I stated with a wink.

"Did you manage to find it?" I heard Rose ask Mickey.

Mickey placed something in her hand. "There you go."

"I can go anywhere now."

"I told you, you don't need a passport."

"It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything."

"Sounds like you're staying, then." We were all quiet, knowing she was intent on staying. His face fell but he quickly donned a smile. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-"

"Oi!"

"Look in the mirror," he said to the Doctor before he turned to Jack. "But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of-"

"Handsome?"

"More like cheesy."

"Early twenty first Century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?"

"It's bad."

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" I shook my head at his question.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" the Doctor asked.

"I wouldn't say that…" I mused, trailing off when I noticed them looking at me, Rose and Jack with smirks on their faces.

"We just stopped off," Rose started to explain, moving the attention from the previous conversation. "We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."

"The rift was healed back in 1869."

"There was a girl named Gwyneth," I said with a small smile, "healed it."

"Because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it."

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race-"

"But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-"

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation."

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!"

"Into time!

"And space!" the four of us said together, slapping hands as Mickey stared at us.

"My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Definitely."

"Yep!"

Mickey rolled his eyes at us before we all headed out of the Tardis, me flanking behind everyone. Looking around, I realized we were at Roald Dahl Plass. My smile brightened as I searched for the shop Rose and I had gone to a while back, long before we met the Doctor. "Do you think that shop's still there?" I asked her.

"Don't know. We can go see. You loved that place, all leather and jeans."

"It was wonderful."

"Should take another twenty four hours, which means we've got time to kill."

"Great. Rose and I could go look for the shop."

"That old lady's staring," Mickey said.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box." Jack slapped the Doctor's shoulders, the three of us laughing. We had gotten used to Jack's sense of humour, no matter how crass it was.

"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Jack held up his hands making a W for whatever before walking away. "Wait, the Tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

Jack turned to face us, walking back. "Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?"

"It's a cloaking device."

"It's called a chameleon circuit. The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."

"So it copied the real thing? There actually was police boxes?"

"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?"

"I like it, don't you?"

"I love it.

"Why fix something so beautiful?" I asked with a shrug. "Most people probably think it's an old box the city forgot about. That's the beauty of it. No one really gives it two thoughts."

"But that's what I meant. There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do?" He placed his hands on Mickey's shoulders. "Walk past it. Even, Cerys said it. Now, stop your nagging. Let's go and explore."

"What's the plan?"

"I don't know. Cardiff, early twenty first century and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe."

As we walked through the plaza, I grabbed the Doctor's hand and gave it a squeeze. He slowed but didn't stop walking. "Thank you for acknowledging I said something."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I'm used to being ignored I guess. Rose doesn't much but there are times where it's like she doesn't even notice that I'm there. And Mickey, he and I never had a good relationship."

"Still shouldn't ignore you. You're smart, Cerys. You use your brain better than most humans. Speak up, eh." I nodded and moved to let go of his hand. As I was going to pull away, his grip on my hand tightened and he smiled at me. I sighed let it be, falling into step with him.

The five of us ended up at a restaurant after a few minutes of walking. We were chatting a bit although we mostly listened to Jack's stories. As usual, I remained quiet for most of the conversation. It was something I was used to, being in the background and observing; taking in everything I saw and heard. "I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks-"

"You're lying through your teeth!"

"I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!"

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy."

"How could you not know it was there?"

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked-"

"Naked?!"

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"

"I knew we should have turned left!"

"That's my line!"

The five of us burst into laughter, although we were pretty much in stitches as Jack told his story. "I don't believe you. I don't believe a word you say ever. That is so brilliant. Did you ever get your clothes back?" Rose asked, as the Doctor looked over to a nearby patron and snatched a newspaper from his hand.

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle. Didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes. I was shaking. It was unbelievable. It freaked me out, and by the time I got fifteen light years away I realized I'm like this."

I turned my attention to the Doctor and glanced at the newspaper, my breath hitching when I sat it was one of the Slitheen. "And I was having such a nice day." The Doctor held up the paper, showing the others the front page. Glancing at each other, we stood, threw down some money and exited the restaurant.

A few minutes later we were standing in the city hall foyer. "According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack." I smirked as the Doctor looked over to him. "We assume a basic fifty seven fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two with Cerys."

"No. Cerys comes with me."

Jack rolled his eyes but there was a glimmer in them. "I wanted to spend some time with her. You can't keep her to yourself, Doctor."

"That's nice," he said, not easing up.

Jack rolled his eyes, admitting defeat. "Fine, _you're_ with the Doctor, Cerys. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?"

I nodded as the Doctor glared at Jack, a bit upset he had taken over and was giving orders, something I noticed the he preferred to do. "Excuse me. Who's in charge?" I rolled my eyes at him but said nothing.

"Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir."

"Right, here's the plan." The Doctor stopped speaking, thinking up a plan. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms." We all pulled out a mobile, synchronizing it.

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready," Mickey repeated after the Doctor and Rose.

"Ready. Speed dial?"

"Yup."

"Ready."

"Check."

Jack looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I gave a curt nod that he returned before he smiled. "See you in hell." With that we all went our separate ways.

As the Doctor and I walked down the hall, I thought of what had just happened. He hadn't acted like that with Rose, demanding she accompany him. Maybe he thought I couldn't handle myself or that I was weak. But that wouldn't make sense. I would have been with Jack, a man perfectly capable of keeping us both safe. Maybe he just felt better with me around. Rose had said I was the only one who could keep him from doing something reckless, so maybe that was it. I shook my head, trying to rid it of all the thoughts. It was nagging me, the want to know his reason but I tried not to let it bother me, yet it was harder than I thought. "Why did you want me to come with you?"

"Just did."

"That's not a reason. If you thought I was weak then I could have went with Jack but you insisted-"

"Who said I thought you were weak?"

"I don't know. It seems like it. You didn't tell Jack that Rose had to go with you. If safety was an issue, I would have been safe with Jack."

"I didn't ask you to come with me for your safety. I know you can take care of yourself."

"Then why did you?"

"I enjoy your company. Now, shush. We're meeting with the receptionist." I rolled my eyes at him as he went to talk to the man sitting behind a desk by the door. "Hello, I've come to see the Lord Mayor."

"Have you got an appointment?"

"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face."

"Well, she's just having a cup of tea."

"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor would like to see her."

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor." I rolled my eyes at him as he donned his silly grin.

"Hang on a tick," the man said, annoyed as he walked into the mayor's office. A moment later we heard a cup smash onto the floor and the receptionist come out, flustered. "The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but, er, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?"

"She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." The Doctor pushed past him as I rang everyone.

"Slitheen heading north."

"On my way."

"Over and out."

"Oh my God."

Hanging up, I ran into the office joining the Doctor and the receptionist on the balcony. The men were wrestling with each other, the receptionist trying to deter the Doctor. "Leave the Mayor alone!" he said before I grabbed the back of his suit jacket and pulled him away from the Doctor. When he was on the ground, the Doctor and I ran down the ladder.

"Margaret!" The Doctor called as she removed her earrings and put it with her broach.

"Who's on Exit Four?" Jack asked.

"That was Mickey!"

"Here I am," the man said as he ran to us.

"Mickey the idiot."

"Oh, be fair, she's not going to outrun us, is she?" Rose questioned as Margaret vanished before our eyes.

"Thanks for that, Rose." She glanced at me, rolling her eyes at my comment.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her."

"Oh, the Doctor's very good at teleports," Rose told Jack as the Doctor held up his screwdriver and Margaret reappeared, running towards us. Seeing what was happening, she turned and ran away from us. For a bit she would vanish and reappear, only to vanish again and repeat the cycle.

"I could do this all day."

Stopping, she rested her hands against her knees, breathing heavily. "This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"Well, you tried to destroy the planet, and not to mention kill us," I snapped.

"Apart from that." I rolled my eyes as the Doctor managed to lead her back into city hall.

When we finally reached an open room, I leaned against a table with yellow cloth draped over it. My eyes on a white model building that she was supposed to have built. "So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station. But what for?"

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways."

I snorted, bringing her attention to me. "Right, on top of the rift? Fat chance. You're planning something."

"What would you know, human?"

"Human, yes. I can call your lies from a mile away and if you aren't fooling me, then you are most definitely not fooling the Doctor, or Jack for that matter. So, why on the rift?"

"What rift would that be?"

"A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go…" he used his hands to show the explosion.

"She knows which one, Jack. Like I said, she's planning something."

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity."

"Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"

"We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice. Oh. I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

"But why would she do that? A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself."

"She's got a name, you know," Margaret sneered.

"She's not even a she, she's a thing," Mickey retorted.

"Oh, but she's clever." I eyed the Doctor as he knocked over some bits and pulled out the middle section of the model and turned it over to show us that it was hooked up to something. "Fantastic."

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?"

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

Jack snatched it from him. "Oo, genius! You didn't build this?"

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering."

"No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you."

"I bet she stole it."

"It fell into my hands."

"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked.

No," I replied, shaking my head and getting up from the chair. I walked over to the Doctor and Jack, examining the device. "I'm pretty sure it's used for transport." I took it from the Doctor's hand. "Once the reactor explodes, the rift would open up again, eradicating all that Gwyneth did. It would be a cosmic disaster. I'm guessing it has an energy bubble that protects you from the debris and whatnot. Punch in some coordinates and ride it out of the solar system." I looked up to see everyone staring at me. "What?"

"How did you know that?" Jack asked.

"Er, I read. I know a lot of stuff."

"But that's not something a human would know."

"You know about it."

"I'm from the 51st century and I was a Time Agent."

"I spend a lot of time in the Doctor's library. I remember most of the stuff I read."

"Right," Mickey interjected, not feeling comfortable with my knowledge of space things. "So it's basically a surfboard."

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."

"And it would've worked. I'd have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilization."

"You'd blow up a planet just to get a lift?"

"She almost did for fuel."

"Like stepping on an anthill."

"How'd you think of the name?" the Doctor asked, his back to us as he looked at the banner that hung on the wall behind the project.

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh."

"I know, but how did you think of it?"

"I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?"

"Blaidd Drwg."

"What's it mean?"

"Bad Wolf."

"But I've heard that before. Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times."

"Everywhere we go. Two words following us. Bad Wolf."

"How can they be following us?"

"Nah, just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind. Things to do. Margaret, we're going to take you home."

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?"

"I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa…" I giggled as the Doctor rolled his eyes at her. "Wait a minute! Raxacor…"

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," the Doctor and I said together.

"Raxacorico…"

"Fallapatorius."

"Raxacoricofallapatorius. That's it! I did it!" I gave her a high five, happy with her as well. She had been bugging me to teach her how to say it but each time ended miserably.

"They have the death penalty." Rose's smile faded. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death."

"Not my problem."

* * *

_So, what did you think of this part? I wanted to show the relationship she has with Rose, Jack and the Doctor, showing how their relationship has changed to the flirting part, although I think I've had it there subtlely, I wanted to have it where now, it's more out there. I also wanted to shed some light on Cerys' past. I also wanted to show that she has abnormal knowledge for a human in the 21st Century. Please leave a review. I love hearing your opinions and such. _

_**BreeBree12345:** Thank's for the review. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so much. I'll definitely be updating more frequently now that I've updated most of the story and have it in my doc manager._

_**Lizzybug2000:** Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the name suggestions. She's definitely going to have a pretty simple name. After a bit of thinking, I decided to name her Joce, best friend of Captain Jack Harkness. Hopefully I'll have it posted soon. _


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